Stories Untold
by FlatlinedGamer
Summary: There are many stories left untold that should be passed on, but I want mine to remain forgotten. Set to span from 2 into Inquisition. Rated for an over abundance of fowl language and just to be on the safe side. Adventure, humor, maybe some romance if I can talk my fingers into it, with a sprinkle of horror. OC Story
1. Chapter One: Ends

**Stories Untold **

**Chapter One: Ends**

**AN: **I know that there are thousands of 'got thrown into such and such' stories out there, but I've never tried writing one myself to be posted. If you go back and read some of my other stories, you won't find one of these because I normally only write them as a sort of writing exercise when I have writer's block. I have never posted one of them anywhere. I've been playing Awakening for the past week and it reminded me of how much I love the Dragon Age games and the fact that I really need to write a story for at least one of them. Two is the one I'm most familiar with, having played it well over 50 times after I was first introduced to it. Not even kidding. You don't even want to know how many times I've played Halo:CE since it's release a very long time ago. I'm a gamer. I can't help it.

For those of you that aren't familiar with how I write, I tend to mention music a lot and name the chapters (and at times the story itself) after songs that help me get through the chapter or describe the contents really well. I also never release a chapter shorter than 2,000 words, so this chapter is really short at just over 1,400 words. I actually went crazy writing and I had to split the chapter in half. The next chapter will be over the 2k mark for my sanity.

I hope you enjoy this story as much as I have so far enjoyed writing it. Chapter two will be up shortly.

* * *

><p>There was a time when I accepted the world as it was. A never changing horror full of death and wars we should have had nothing to do with. A place where people just had to have the latest tech and all the new fashion- regardless if it was new or a rehash of old shit no one wanted anymore. I was never really one of those people, but I never actually tried to change the way things were either.<p>

Have you ever heard that song by Nine Inch Nails that goes 'every day is exactly the same'? That line summed up my day to day life perfectly. I did the same shit day after day with very little variation. I was stuck in a rut and I didn't want out. I was comfortable with my life. After a while you would think my brain would let me know that my life was stagnant.

If I told you that I just didn't notice, I'd be lying. I did notice. I just never did anything about it. It was easier for me to live like that than to change my ways. I lived that way for three years and I wasn't ready to change.

At that point I had already lost all my friends and didn't really care that I had. After all, wouldn't true friends have stuck around no matter what? I didn't realize that they had become disgusted with my constant excuses and unwillingness to do... well, anything. It was my fault they were gone.

I always felt like an outsider observing the habits of normal people. Like the Staind song goes, I'm on the outside and I'm lookn' in. That was my life and I was complaisant with it. I never stepped outside my comfort zone. Not for anything. I was alone and no one wanted to pull me out of what I had become, because I wouldn't let them and they knew it.

I wish someone would have done it sooner. I really have to wonder why _She_ felt the need to interfere in my world and life.

I wish someone would have cared as much as someone that didn't know me at all.

My name is Korbin Mondshien and I wish I had remembered who I am sooner than what I did.

* * *

><p>My days started with feeding the horses, then the chickens, then the pot bellied pig someone dumped on me, then the quail, and finally the cats in the house, and the ones outside. It had always been part of my daily life and in my stagnant state of mind it didn't change. The day went on as always. That is, until I noticed that one of my geldings had gone missing. He wasn't with the others when I brought out the feed for them that afternoon. I only knew of one place he could be and it actually scared me to think he could be hurt.<p>

I packed my backpack with my 'stupid horse' kit and a few random things in case I got stuck out looking for Jax and took the four wheeler out to the old well. It had been boarded up and fenced off since I was a kid and now that I owned the farm it was my job to check the fence from time to time. I hadn't been out there in a month and if Jax was hurt or dead it would be my fault.

As I reached the well I noticed two things. First of all, Jax was on my neighbors side of the fence near the well. He would have had to walk _over _the well to get to the only tree free section of the fence to pass through. The second thing was that none of the rotting boards had cracked or broken under his weight. He was at least a thousand pounds and it didn't make any sense.

I pulled on my backpack, grabbed my lead rope, and gingerly climbed through the barb wire. I caught the back of my shirt twice and the pack three times before getting to where Jax stood. Now I had a problem. I needed to lean over to get through the fence, but I was standing over the well since it was almost under the fence on this side. The boards cracked and popped under my weight. I looked down nervously. I wasn't sure I wanted to do this. I should just go around to the gate at the front of the property and walk to him. This was insane!

Just as I was getting ready to step the short distance to the edge of the well I heard something move in the well. It was a fifty foot drop to the bottom. There was no way in hell I was hearing something down there. The boards weren't even out of place. They were in the same place they had been for twenty years. I was five when they blocked it off to keep my cousins and I from falling in.

"Help me, please!"

I froze. I know I did NOT just hear an old woman yelling for help under my feet. That was completely impossible. Nu-uh. No way. No how. I was having flashbacks of The Ring and Ju-on. The woman was going to come out and kill me... with her hair. Eww. But, wait. Why wasn't she still calling for help? My question was answered when Jax screamed in terror and bolted across the neighbor's field. I heard a loud whooshing sound- like massive owl wings- over my head. I looked up and fell back in shock as what looked to be a massive dragon flew over me. The rotten and termite-eaten boards shattered as my back hit them. As I fell into darkness of the well I only had one thought. _What have I done?_

* * *

><p>"JAX!" I screamed as I woke up. As the events before I blacked out came back to me I sat up and looked around. It was pitch black. I must have been out for a few hours. It wasn't quite late afternoon when I'd gone to feed the horses and discovered Jax was missing. There was no sign of a woman down here with me. That just figures.<p>

Maybe the well was haunted? I thought long and hard about it. Just when I was about to give up I remembered a bright and smiling face that had very suddenly disappeared when I was four. My Aunt Jordan. She was the reason they'd covered the well. I think she went missing one day while she was out riding. They found her horse a half mile into the woods and a hole where she had to have fallen through. I had loved my Aunt dearly. It doesn't surprise me that it took me so long to think of her. If it weren't for all the photos of us together I probably never would have remembered her.

I would just have to wait until dawn to see if there was a way out.

I slept in short intervals through out the night. At one point I realized that I was laying on something soft, kinda angular, and very lumpy. I started to panic. What if I landed on something of the dead persuasion? I eased off of it and at the last second I remembered that I'd had my backpack on when I fell. I felt really, _really _stupid. Both straps were broke, which explained why my shoulders hurt so badly. Still, I thanked my lucky stars that my grandfather had insisted on making me carry around a backpack like this.

Technically it didn't have a bunch of random stuff in it. I had a whole bunch of survival gear in it. A fire wouldn't do me any good down here, but the flashlight would make me feel a little better. It's all about keeping your spirits up and staying alive until someone can rescue you. I shuffled things around until I found the flashlight, shook it a few times, and clicked it on. No need for batteries and it made you think over just how badly you needed light. I really needed it right now. I needed to- I shudder just thinking about it- check for spiders. I'm deathly afraid of them.

Once I was satisfied I wasn't sharing a space with the creepy little bastards I turned my attention to the contents of my backpack. I found six energy bars in the bottom and four of them were dangerously close to their expiration dates. Sometimes I just threw things in it without checking. When I got out of there I was going to make sure to never let this happen again. I had slipped when it came to making sure that the emergency food was good. I couldn't even use the three dried food packs without hot water. I needed variation. Why did I have to think of these things now?

I pulled out one of the few bottles of water I had thought to bring. I had packed only three bottles, but I had a full carton of cigarettes. I was really starting to confuse myself. When had I gotten so lax in keeping this thing up to date? I sighed. Around the same time I had started pushing my friends away. That's when.

I was at the bottom of a well and just now thinking of how badly I had ruined my life. With a sigh I turned my attention, and my flashlight, to the hole above me. I gaped at what I saw, shook my flashlight hard to charge it up, then gaped again. There was... a ceiling or maybe a big rock blocking the way. I stood up quickly to try and reach it, but I couldn't. I took deep, gasping breaths. No on would ever find me! I was _under _the well. How had this happened?

I started to cry. I sat down and cried as hard as I thought I possibly could. I was going to die down here and there was nothing I could do about it. I started screaming in my hysteria. I didn't want to die. Not down here where no one would ever find me. I was going to be just like my Aunt Jordan. Everyone but those that had cared the most would forget about me. Hell, with how I'd been for the past few years they'd probably think I'd wandered off in the woods and killed myself.

I heard something shuffling around outside the walls of the well, but I was too far gone to care if some giant mole or something stupid like that was coming to eat me.

"Serrah, are you alright?" A soft male voice asked near me.

I let out a hysteric laugh and said back to it, "Go figure, not even the voices in my head care to get my name right." I hugged myself tighter. Then I froze. Wait, a voice? I looked up sharply and saw a worried looking man in a dress sticking half way out a curtain of hanging moss. Why hadn't I noticed that? I blinked a few times, muttered about mole people being blond, and promptly passed the fuck out.


	2. Chapter Two: Last Resort

**Stories Untold**

**Chapter Two: Last Resort**

**AN:** Second chapter as promised. Enjoy!

I opened my eyes slowly and blinked away the sleep. I was staring at the sky and tre- Wait, what? Sky? Trees? I was trapped in the well. Where the hell did the sky and trees come from? Then I remembered the blond mole guy and froze in place. Oh, Gods. The blond guy. Where was he? I didn't move to look for him. I was too freaked out. I heard leaves crunching and people talking. Ok, men talking. That was even more cause for alarm. There were at least three of them unless I was going def... or there were invisible extras that weren't talking. I started breathing harder. Ohhhh shit on a fucking shingle. I was fucked.

"We need to take this seriously, Hawke. The girl was crying and scared. I think she's lost." I heard the blond one say. I _think _it was the blond one. They had stopped walking and were just far enough away that if I got up and ran my ass off I might be able to make it to the closest tree and climb it just in time. I could become one with the fucking squirrel if I had to. This was my life on the line after all.

I heard a gravley voice speak next. It would have been sexy if I wasn't freaked out so badly. "Look at the way she's dressed. She's clearly not from here. We should turn her in to the Templars."

"For what?" The third man asked. "For being lost and afraid? Fenris, listen to yourself."

The man named Fenris practically growled at them. "We can not take on another lost cause. She could be an apostate mage."

Oh shit. They're crazy. Like bat shit crazy. I bolted up off the ground and practically slammed into the nearest tree with low branches. I scrabbled up it until I couldn't get any higher. I heard them yelling at me to come down and that they wouldn't hurt me. I was scared and cornered. The most logical thing for me to do was start throwing insults.

"Fuck you, ya fuckn' weirdos!" I screamed with all my southern might. Damn that felt good.

"Please, no one wants to hurt you. You could fall." The blond man from the well called up to me. "We just want to help you."

"And horses fucking fly!" I screamed. I was in panic insult mode. They spoke among themselves to decide the best course of action. Then the man with the short black hair and a scar across his face called up to me.

"Would it make you feel better if there were women here?" He asked. I hesitated. If nothing else they might take pity on me and let me go home.

"Yes." I said, just loud enough for them to hear.

"Then we shall return. Feel free to come down while we're gone. Your pack is by the fire." He said.

"Not a snowball's chance in hell!" I yelled. I wasn't coming down. I watched them walk away. Nope. I wasn't that thirsty.

A thought suddenly hit me and I felt pretty stupid for just now noticing it. They had all had European accents. My brain must still be rattled from my fall. I should have noticed it sooner. You don't hear that kind of accent in Alabama.

An hour later I saw a group of people walk towards me. They had brought one women and a midget with them. How the fuck was that supposed to make me feel better?

"There she is." The blond said, pointing up at me.

The woman was in full plate armor and had red hair. She looked up at me. "Hello," she called. "What's your name?"

I blinked. Now they wanted to know my name? Well damn. Don't I feel special? "Korbin." I said simply.

"Korbin, my name is Aveline Vallen. I'm the Captain of the Guard in Kirkwall." She said like it was the most normal thing in the world. "No one here wants to hurt you. Anders and Hawke told us you were scared. What happened to you?"

I fidgeted on my tree limb. Her voice was way too kind and motherly. She made it really hard to throw an insult at her. It honestly made me uncomfortable. I scooted around a bit before I spoke.

"Do you absolutely-without-a-doubt-no-going-back-on-your-word swear that no one is going to hurt me?" I asked.

"I swear," she said without hesitation.

I started climbing down the tree slowly. I was good at getting up trees with a quickness, but getting back down was always slow going. Just when I thought I had put my foot on the same branch I had going up, it cracked under me and sent me sprawling on the ground. I lay there for a moment trying to catch my breath. "Go fucking figure." I snarled at the tree. There was some shuffling near me, but no one got too close. I got up and brushed myself off before holding my arms out to the sides. "I have such great balance I could be a fucking ballerina!"

They all looked at me like I was completely insane. I sighed. "Don't mind me," I said. "I don't take kindly to falling, tripping, or otherwise hurting myself. If it pisses me off I throw insults at it or make fun of the situation." The explanation went a ways to ease their discomfort.

"Now," the man named Hawke said. "Why don't you come over to the fire and tell us what happened to you?"

"Ok." I followed them over and grabbed my backpack. After digging through it for my open water bottle and chugging the whole thing I was ready to start. "Keep in mind, I have absolutely no idea where the hell I am. No one I know dresses like any of you unless it's Halloween." I frowned. I didn't know where to begin and I stated as much.

"You could start where you feel like you got lost or in trouble." The midget said.

"Ok," I sighed. "Everything was completely normal this morning. I fed all the animals like I do everyday. I worked in the garden like I do everyday. I ate lunch, cleaned tack that didn't need it, and went out to feed the horses again. That's when shit went downhill. One of my geldings went missing. I went to look for him at the old well. That's always the first place I check. I have to make sure they didn't get past the fence and fall in. Well, this also happens to be the only place you can cross into the neighboring farm's back fields. The well is almost between the properties, but most of it is on my side. That means that fence upkeep is my job. I saw Jax on the other side in the neighbor's field. The only way he could have gotten there would have been to break the fence, walk over the well, and break the other fence. The problem is, nothing was out of place. The wire was still intact and the boards over the well weren't broken." I stopped to think on the whole situation. Then I sighed. "I tried to get to him by going through the fence. When I got to the other side of the well I realized it was a bad idea. I was about to step to safer ground when Jax made a sound I have never heard a horse make before and bolted across the field. Then I heard something flying overhead so I looked up and it scared and startled me so bad that I let the fence go and fell backwards. Down the well."

I was finished with my story. I was NOT telling these people about the dragon. They don't exist and I lost my mind. The end. But they couldn't just let it go.

"What did you see that startled you?" The midget asked. I still hadn't gotten his name.

"I- uh... I didn't get a real good look at it," I lied.

"Bullshit, tree girl, I know a lie when I hear one," he said bluntly. How the hell could he say tree girl with a straight face?

"Ok, Ok. But you aren't going to believe me anyway," I surrendered. "In fact, it's crazy and completely unbelievable."

"All the more reason we'll believe you," he said.

"I saw a fucking dragon," I said bluntly. I could not believe I had just blurted that shit out.

"Is that all?" Mr. Midget asks me. Like it was completely normal to see a dragon. What?

"What?" I repeated out loud. "I just said I saw a dragon! A creature that doesn't exist and you're just going to ask me 'Is that all'?" I stared at him in complete and utter disbelief. I mean, really? I just told him I saw a giant fucking flying lizard and he's going to sit there and ask me that? What the actual fuck?

"They aren't _that _uncommon around here," Mr. Midget told me. "We haven't seen one in the area, but we don't know how long you were in that cave."

"Cave?" I asked. "I wasn't in a cave. I was at the bottom of a well on my farm in Alabama. Just where the fuck am I?"

They were giving each other a look that clearly said I was crazy. I don't like that look. At all. I have tried to hurt people over that look.

"I'm not fucking crazy," I snapped. "I don't like it when people give each other that fucking 'she's crazy' look around me. It pisses me off."

Hawke apologized to me. He sounded like he meant it, so I dropped it. I'm not heartless... or crazy. Though, I really did feel like I was. I was sitting around with a bunch of people wearing armor and carrying sharp, pointy- and in some cases large- blades and let's not forget the giant crossbow the midget had. I had to be fucking nuts to just sit there like it was normal. But then, hadn't this been normal at one point? Add a few more girls into the mix and switch the midget for a really hot guy... er, not that the three men present weren't... um, my brain just betrayed me.

The point is that at one point I went to LARPs with my friends before I pushed them all away. Back when I still cared to live. Back before... I'm not thinking about that now. My life had been pretty normal at one point, but that was just over three years ago. I didn't even realize how deep in thought I was until I heard Avaline say my name sharply to get my attention.

"Huh?" I asked confused.

"Varric asked you a question," she said, concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Varric?" I asked. Mr. Midget waved at me and then it dawned on me. "Oh. Mr. Midget is Varric... did I just say that out loud?"

Varric stared at me blankly. Oh shit. I made him mad. That wasn't the case, but my concern must has showed. He grinned and started laughing.

"That's a new one!" He laughed. "I like it! I think you have to be the bravest woman I've ever met."

I sighed with relief before I muttered, "That or the dumbest bitch in existence." A few eyebrows rose, but no one commented. "What did you ask me?"

"Oh," Varric said. "I just wanted to know if you were familiar with Thedas."

"Wha?" I asked. "I've never heard of that before. What is it? Or who, if that's the case?"

"Thedas in the continent we're on," Fenris said as he glared at me. This was the first time he'd spoken to me since the whole 'wanting to kill me' thing. I returned the glare.

"Never heard of it," I said as if it weren't apparent already. "I'm from North America. The United States of America to be technical. Montgomery, Alabama to be more specific since I'm being a pain in the ass."

"We've never heard of that either," Avaline said. "Is there any way you can prove what you're saying."

I thought about it for a moment. I wiggled around in the spot I was sitting on the ground. I felt my wallet poke my left butt cheek in a weird way and pulled it from my back pocket. I suddenly realized that I held the answer to all my problems. I had my I.D. in it. I popped the buttons and pull out the chunk of plastic with the horrible picture.

"Here," I said, handing it to Avaline. "That's my I.D. It should be good enough. I just want to know how you plan on proving this Thedas thing to me."

Avaline looked it over with a frown on her face. So I asked her what was wrong.

"It's just... this painting looks so real," she said. "What material is this made from?"

"Um," I said, confused and uncomfortable. "Haven't you ever seen plastic before? It's not like it's uncommon or anything."

"Never seen anything like it," Varric said. "I'm a Dwarf. We usually see new materials before anyone."

At this point I was starting to freak out again. There was no way. No. Way. I was in another world. This was not that shitty fucking show Inuyashya. My well was not a fucking portal. I think I was starting realize how Alice actually felt about Wonderland.

"Oh dear Gods," I breathed. "I'm Alice and I fell down a fucking rabbit hole."

My new..er, friends? Looked at me all kinds of confused. I told them that I'd tell them the story I was talking about later. Varric seemed pretty excited, but I was starting to freak out even more. I started to feel light headed as my heart rate picked up. Oh, fuck. I thought I was going to pass out again.

"Korbin," I heard Avaline saying. "Just breath. You'll be alright. Just remember to breath."

I let my breathing even out and pulled out another bottle of water. I chugged that fucker and took a deep breath.

What the fuck was I going to do?


	3. Chapter Three: Change (House of Flies)

**Stories Untold**

**Chapter Three: Change (In The House of Flies)**

**AN:** Another short chapter, just shy of 2000 words. I've set it for Cullen/OC, so that's what you can expect when I get into Inquisition. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>I paced nervously around the dieing fire. They had left two hours ago to find clothes for me so I could see the city they called Kirkwall. I was agitated that it was taking them so long to get back. I mean really? It can't be that fucking hard to find clothes. Then again, Avaline was a hell of a lot taller then my five foot two.<p>

I sighed in frustration. If this place was really anything like what they had claimed I wondered why they didn't leave me with anything to defend myself. A knife would have been fine. I've killed snakes that moved faster than most people. At the same time, I suppose I could understand. Don't give the possibly crazy woman a weapon.

As I started to pace another loop around the fire I spotted Avaline farther off in the woods. Finally! I didn't want to be out here any longer than I had to be. I loved the woods, but I wasn't familiar with this place. It didn't hold the comfort of the woods on my property. If that even makes sense.

As she approached I noticed that she was alone. Chances are, she felt that she could handle me since I was unarmed. Oh, and let's not forget the height difference between us. She's ridiculously tall compared to me.

"I honestly didn't think you'd still be here," Avaline said when she reached me. "You may not be as bad as I thought."

"Of course I'm still here!" I yelled. "I have no fucking clue where the hell I am. As much as you might feel like I'm the crazy one here, I feel the same way about you and your friends." I crossed my arms and let out a loud sigh. "I have to admit, if it turns out that you aren't crazy I'm going to scream and run in circles. Just fair warning."

"Fair enough," she agreed, handing over a pile of clothing. "Get changed and we'll head to Kirkwall."

* * *

><p>I let out a heavy sigh as we entered the gates of Kirkwall. Panic had long since set in. Since the moment I first set eyes on the 'City of Chains', as Avaline had called it. I didn't listen as she told me the story behind the name. I was freaking the fuck out internally. Either I had been drugged for a very long time and taken to the UK or these people weren't crazy or lying to me. I already knew I wasn't dreaming. I had a nice little burn on my arm that proved that. What? I had to be sure.<p>

Avaline led me to a tavern with the weirdest crap at its front. There was a big wooden soldier hanging by it ankle. Ouch, what a way to go. She said it was called The Hanged Man. I simply raised an eyebrow at her. This place was just weird.

Come to find out, everyone that I had met in the woods were waiting for us at a table in the back. We made our way to them while I tried not to gag at the smell of the place. There was a reason I didn't go to bars. This was why. The Hanged Man reeked of body odor, booze, and other things I didn't even want to think about. Just as we were about to reach the table they all got up and started up a set of stairs. Avaline waved for me to follow. Right, it's not like we could talk about this shit in public.

Once we were safely in a private room everyone seemed to turn and look at me. "What the hell are you looking at me for?" I snapped. I hadn't reached the running in circles while screaming phase yet, but I was pretty damn close. "I'm loosing my shit here and you bastards are just looking at me. What the fuck are you looking at?!"

Varric started laughing. The little bastard was laughing at _me._ Hawke started up next. I gave a nervous chuckle, not sure what to make of the situation. Varric tried to catch his breath and speak. "Sorry, Shorty. It's just-" he started laughing again. At this point I was glaring at him and Hawke. Neither man nor dwarf could control themselves. I slowly raised an eyebrow as I continued to glare at the pair.

Varric cleared his throat. "Sorry, I just expected you to react a little more- I don't know- crazy?"

I gave a hysteric little laugh. "Really? You think I'm taking this well?" I asked. "I'm having a fucking internal breakdown as we speak. How the fuck am I supposed to survive here? I know next to nothing about this world! Up until today I've been living like-" I stopped and dropped to my knees. It stung, but I couldn't hold myself up as the realization that I hadn't actually been living hit me like a ton of bricks.

"Korbin," Avaline said gingerly. "Are you alright?"

I let out the breath I'd been holding. "That's just it though. I wasn't actually living. I was just existing. After I lost-" I paused and swallowed thickly before I continued. "After all the shit that happened three and a half years ago I stopped living. It's like I just gave up. If it wasn't something I did everyday like feeding the animals or bringing in the hay I just stopped doing it." I sucked in a shuddering breath. "I lost everything and I didn't even care anymore. I ruined my own life."

"Shit," Varric said. Shit was right.

"That's not even the worst part," I whispered as my voice cracked on the words. "I was content to live like that. I reasoned that if those people had truly been my friends they never would have left. I get it now though. They were completely fucking disgusted with me." I ran my hands through my hair. "Fuck, I'm disgusted with myself. The past three years are a fog. I can't remember a single thing I did that didn't involve routine. If Jax hadn't run off this morning I'd still be doing the same shit."

"And now you're here," the blond guy said. I couldn't remember his name for anything in the world.

"And now I'm here," I repeated, staring at the floor. "I'm here and I can't live like I was. I can't live like that in a world I don't know."

"You'll have to learn how to survive and in turn live," Hawke said. "Be you a mage, a rogue, or a warrior. You'll have to learn. If you're willing we'll teach you what you need to know."

"Why?" I asked. "You don't really know anything about me." I looked up at the tall man. "I could just drag you down or get you in some kind of trouble."

Hawke smiled at me and I could hear Varric quietly laughing. "I tend to take in the lost and despairing. I help them find a new reason to live. You, Korbin, are no different. You might come from another world, but you are a kindred spirit. Besides," he laughed. "We're more likely to get _you_ in trouble."

I smiled despite everything. I actually liked these people. They were taking me in as one of their own. "Here I am again. Sitting watching all these people that I'll never see again. Goodbye to all my friends, I'm leaving this place and I'm never looking back again my friend." I muttered. I got confused looks from all over the room. "Sorry," I said. "It's from a song I've always liked."

"Just remember," Varric said, ignoring my little song. "Don't ever tell anyone that you aren't from this world. Just... I don't know. Just tell them you're from Ferelden or something."

"What she needs is a story," Fenris suddenly spoke up. He hadn't said a word since this whole thing started. "Something that is plausible. Something no one will question too deeply."

"I can do that," Varric says thoughtfully. "I am a writer after all."

"Ok, then where am I from?" I asked. I was game for making something up. I thought it could be fun.

"Hm," Varric put some thought into it. "You were born in Rivain in... wait, how old are you?"

"I'm twenty-five," I laugh, knowing what would come next. A few strange looks were passed around. "I know, I know. I look at least six years younger than that. It runs in my family."

"Alright. It's 9:31 Dragon, so that means you were born in 9:6 Dragon," He says, pleased with himself. I was looking at a basic calendar while he spoke. It looked really strange to me. Then it dawned on me to look at the map he had.

"Um," I said, catching everyone's attention. "We have a problem."

"What?" Hawke asked.

"My home is in the northern hemisphere of my world," I said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"So," the blond drawled. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I asked. "The seasons aren't the same. Your winter would be my summer and vice versa. I was born in winter, but here it would be summer. Though, your August falls on the same month as mine..." I trailed off thinking the calendar over.

"And?" Varric asked.

"That would mean that if I go by your calendar over mine, instead of being born in February I would have been born during... uh, Guardian," I said, pleased with myself.

"I didn't even think of that," Varric confessed. "Good job, Shorty."

I grimaced at his nickname for me. "What happened to tree girl?"

"Too long and not accurate enough. Shorty is perfect for you," Varric said. I stuck my tongue out at him, not that he noticed.

"We need a way to explain her accent," Fenris said. I think he was tossing shit out there for the rest of us to pick up. Varric had likely already thought about all of this at least once.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hawke asked. "She was raised by dwarves from a young age. Her parents were murdered by bandits and she was found wandering the wilderness all alone. They couldn't leave a child to die and no one else would take her so they raised her."

I stared at Hawke, jaw on the floor. "You kinda scare me," I told him.

"Yes, well I learned from the best," he said with a wide grin. "Right Varric?"

Varric laughed, but didn't reply. "Now we just need to figure out what you're good at, Shorty. With the way they said you went up that tree I'm willing to bet you're a rogue."

"I'm not bad with a bow if that helps," I said. "I just suck at hitting moving targets."

"That could be worked on," Fenris added. "It would simply require practice."

"What about daggers?" Blondie asked. I really needed to ask what his name was.

"Um, I can kill a rattlesnake with my knife," I sighed. "The very knife that I don't have. Lovely."

"Shorty, all the snakes in Thedas are poisonous," Varric tells me. "You wouldn't want to face off with one of those."

"Rattlesnakes have been known to kill people if they aren't treated within a few hours," I told him in return. "We have a lot of other poisonous snakes. Copperheads, Cotton Mouths, Water Moccasins, Coral snakes, and those are _just _the poisonous snakes. We have a lot more that aren't."

"I take that back then."

I smiled in triumph. "I suppose I could try both. Couldn't hurt, right?"

"Not at all," Hawke agreed.

If only I had realized what I was getting myself into.


	4. Chapter Four: Black Sheep

**Stories Untold**

**Chapter Four: Black Sheep**

**AN: **Holy crap, people are actually reading this! I don't know if that means it's good or not, but hey, what the hell. So long as people are reading it I'll keep writing. This was meant to be posted days ago, but I was having... issues with the program I use. It ate the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>After a few hours of 'training' I was cursing these bastards for everything but a child of god. This was not training, this was abuse. It wasn't so much that I was horrible. I just wasn't used to moving around so much. My lungs burned by the time Hawke called it quits. Smokers should not be forced to endure 'training' like this. <em>I <em>should not be forced to endure training like this, but I did and I had been for the past month.

Yes, the past month. I had been here that long and still hadn't made a huge amount of progress. Hawke and Fenris were trying really hard to teach me to use daggers, but they were _warriors._ That might explain why shit wasn't working out. On the bright side, Varric was succeeding at teaching me how to read the script used in Thedas. A writer teaching someone that _used_ to write for fun. It was actually a great idea.

Avaline didn't have much time to contribute to my learning since she was a city guard. When Hawke and the others needed to go to or close to the barracks I'd tag along so I could go see her. When we got there, things weren't as peachy as they should have been. Avaline had been working as a guard for a while now and, most of the time, I got the impression that she hated it here. Don't get me wrong, she loved the work... when she got it.

From what I understood, before they decided to leave me behind yet again, there was some weird crap going on with the chain of command or something like that. It had something to do with an ambush... or something. I was snooping around at the time so I had no idea what was going on. Then they were gone again. Leaving me behind. I hated it, but I didn't have much choice. It's not like I could fight as well as the rest of them.

I caught one of the guardsmen as they came off their shift and asked them to walk me home. Home being Hawke's house... er, Gamlen's house. I slept on the floor, but that was ok. Better than being homeless. I would have killed for a bed though. I had to have picked the worst person ever to walk with me. That guy reminded me of a fucking light fixture.

"Hello Korbin," Bethany said as I walked through the door. I gave her a halfhearted wave. "Where's Hawke?"

I sighed as I plopped down in Gamlen's favorite chair. He wasn't there to be pissy about it, thankfully. "They left me behind again," I told her. "Avaline needed their help and, of course, I couldn't go...again."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better."

"Think you could magically make me amazing with daggers?" I asked her. I already knew she would say no. "Think we could sneak off to The Hanged Man?"

"I think I can manage that," she laughed. "Come on, let's get into some trouble."

* * *

><p>Who knew we would actually get into to trouble? I didn't. We were just minding our own business when the fight broke out. There was a lot of chair throwing and table breaking involved. To be honest, we were trying to stay out of it. That is until someone decided to throw a chair at us. I looked at Bethany and she at me. It was on. I grabbed one of my always present daggers off my back and she grabbed her staff. I can admit the whole thing was sloppy. After all, I was being trained by warriors.<p>

The first guy to try and hit me got punched in the throat, something of a bad habit for me when it comes to fighting. The guy went down and seemed like there was a line of people waiting to get their asses handed to them. I kept getting hit, but I gave as good as I got. When it was all finally over we were back to back with the only other woman in this place that hadn't run for cover when the trouble started.

"Good fighting with you girls," she said when it was all over. "I think we're all going to hurt in the morning!"

"Try not to sound so cheerful," I said. "Ugh, I think I have ale in my cleavage. Gross. Please let that be ale!"

Bethany laughed. "I feel sorry for the poor man you first punched," she giggled. "You aren't as bad at fighting as you say."

I snorted. "A bar fight ain't shit," I said. "Almost all my cousins are boys. I had to learn to fight back early."

"You girls are darling," our partner laughed. "Names Isabela. Who are you two doves?"

"I'm Bethany," the mage answered innocently, not catching the flirting of the other woman.

I laughed outright. "My name's Korbin," I said before Bethany could question me. I needed to avoid that as long as possible. I hate awkwardness.

"Ladies," Isabela announced. "Let's have a drink. To women beating the shit out of idiots!"

I snorted again. "I'll drink to that."

We carried on a random conversation for a while before Isabela mentioned my horrible dagger skills. She even had the gall to laugh at me when Bethany told her that I was being trained by two warriors. My ears turned a bit red, but I laughed with her.

"Yeah, about that," I said slowly. "We couldn't find a dagger wielding rogue to train me. Or should I say, that was willing to train me."

"You should see her trying to-" Bethany hiccuped and completely forgot what she'd been saying.

"I don't know who's going to kill me first," I said, eying the girl. "Your mother or your brother. Anyway, it's safe to say I haven't managed to learn anything but how to block really big swords in the month they've been trying to teach me."

"Oh sweetheart," Isabela laughed. "You aren't going to learn anything from them about being a rogue. I suppose I could teach you since I suddenly have time on my hands." She hummed as she thought about something. "Introduce me to these warriors of yours and if I like the look of them we'll call it good and I'll teach you."

I cackled loudly, tipsy from the ale and completely getting what she was saying. "Oh, you're gonna like the look of them. Trust me!"

By the end of the night Isabela had to walk us home. Leandra was not pleased with us or the company we'd brought with us. She sent our little guardian away and got us to bed. Since Hawke wasn't home she made me sleep in his bed, assuring me that he wouldn't mind sleeping elsewhere since I was drunk. Dammit, I wanted to sleep on the floor.

* * *

><p>Come mid morning, I was sitting in Gamlen's favorite chair and holding my head in my hands. I glared at the man every time he opened his mouth to tell me the chair was off limits. Bethany was sitting in a dark corner cursing every noise. It got worst when Hawke and our other friends arrived. I swear he was that loud on purpose.<p>

"I'm home everyone!" Hawke yelled as he came through the door. Bethany almost hissed like a cat and I slowly lowered myself off the chair in pain before trying to drag myself across the floor.

"Someone kill me," I groaned. "I forgot what a hangover feels like and I want to bury myself."

Everyone in the damned room laughed at me. I wasn't trying to be funny. My head hurt like hell, my mouth was dry as hell, and my stomach felt like something was crawling around in it. I felt like shit.

I rolled on my back and shook my fist at the ceiling. "Curse you Isabela!" I yelled before hissing in pain.

"All right," Hawke said as he moved to help me off the floor. "Let's get you two over to see Anders."

"He's gonna laugh at me," I groaned.

He laughed at me. Anders fucking laughed at me. If he hadn't healed my poor head and belly I would have hit him. I swear I would have. As it was I would just have to settle for revenge later. Unfortunately, there were pressing matters to attend to, like my big mouth.

"So," Hawke said. "For now I'll let this slid if you'll tell me who this 'Isabela' is."

"You have to meet her anyway," I said, rubbing a hand over my face. "We made a deal."

"What _kind _of deal?" Fenris asked. I can never tell if he was actually pissed or if he always sounded like that.

"She wanted to meet the two of you in exchange for teaching Korbin how to fight with daggers," Bethany blurted. I eyed her a moment before turning back to them.

"Yup," I said. "I'm honestly surprised you remembered that. You were way past gone by the time we got around to that."

"So let me get this straight," Hawke said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You drank with a random woman and promised her you'd introduce us?"

"Oh no," I said. I just knew _someone_ was about to blow up on us...or just me. "That wasn't until after the bar fight."

"What?" Hawke and Fenris snapped in unison.

"We didn't start it!" Bethany defended.

"It just migrated over to us," I said with a shrug. "I don't like it when people throw chairs at me. I punched that guy in the throat."

Hawke sighed and Fenris shook his head before he spoke. "I honestly believe you are the only person that could sound _happy _about that."

"Small graces," I sighed. "Besides, it get's really fucking boring around here. We _always_ get left behind. Me I can understand. I can't fight for shit. Bethany on the other hand. She's really good."

Hawke groaned. He knew I had a point. "Then what would you do without her around?"

"I'm going to learn how not to be a burden," I said matter of fact.

"She has a point," Anders said, trying to helpful.

"See," I groaned. "Even _Anders_ thinks I'm a burden."

"Fine," Hawke ground out. "We'll go meet this 'Isabela'."

"Sweet," I said. "Let's go. She's at the Hanged Man and I want to get started as soon as possible."

I _was _cheerfully leading the way out of Darktown when I completely forgot the way. I'm never going to live this day down. _Ever._

* * *

><p>Hawke was not pleased with me after meeting Isabela. In fact, he was so mad he took Bethany and went off to run errands that <em>I <em>could have helped with. Varric stayed behind to watch the carnage and laugh at me every time my ass was reacquainted with the ground.

"Could you at least buy me dinner before you pound my ass," I snapped. Isabela cackled at the joke.

"Oh, you're fun," she replied. I glared at her. We'd been at this for hours and even Varric had left after a while. "Don't worry so much," Isabela laughed. "You're getting better. Picking it up pretty fast, actually."

"Really?" I asked. "I thought I was getting beat into the ground."

"Would I lie to you?" she asked. I eyed the woman. "Alright, fine. I mean it. You're getting better. You just needed a rogue to teach you. In another month you'll be fine on your own."

It was actually a relief to hear that. In another month I wouldn't be a burden anymore. I didn't think I'd find my own place to live for a while, but at least I would be able to contribute to Hawke's family for letting me stay for so long already. Ok, yeah. Isabela said a month. I know that. I just hate feeling like I'm useless.

"So," Isabela said, breaking the silence created by our break. "Want to go to the Rose with me? I can get you a good deal on a clean guy, or girl. Your choice."

"No thanks, Bela." I chuckled. "I should probable get home and hope like hell I didn't miss dinner."

"Well, you know where to find me if you change your mind." Isabela waved as she walked off towards Hightown. I sighed as I left the abandoned courtyard. I hated being alone. It made me think.

I had been in Thedas for just over a month at this point. It made me wonder how my farm was doing without me. No doubt one of my idiot cousins had destroyed it already. Sold my horses to a kill buyer or some equally horrible fate. Hell, I hadn't even seen a horse since I'd been in Kirkwall. I hated that I hadn't. I love horses. It's part of the reason I'd surrounded myself with them back home.

When I got home everyone was gone. Except Gamlen. I stuck my tongue out at him and walked to the room I shared with the Hawkes. I sat on my 'bed' and dug out my backpack. I guess now was as good a time as any to sort through it before burning the damn thing and anything I shouldn't keep here.

This was going to be a long night if no one came home.


	5. Chapter Five: She Can Sure Hide Crazy

**Stories Untold**

**Chapter Five: She Can Sure Hide Crazy**

**AN: **I had a really hard time writing this chapter. Not only am I writing this story I've also picked Raising Dead back up since I have so many angry fans waiting for an update. Ok, it's really because of the awesome reviews that people leave. Anyway, I'm currently looking for a beta for this story! I know I miss a lot of things when writing and I know I tend to mess a few things up. I need help big time! Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

><p>The next morning was horrible. I had more training with Isabela, I had to help Leandra <em>clean, <em>I had more lessons with Varric, and Hawke wanted to drag me to the Gallows to see a Templar for the first time. Busy day, huh? By the time it was over I collapsed on my 'bed' and passed the fuck out. The next day would be even worst. Much, _much _worse.

It continued on like that for weeks. A never ending cycle of hell and muscle cramps. On the bright side I was wandering farther afield than before. Hawke and the others trusted my new found skills just enough to take me along on smaller jobs. I wasn't fighting demons or mages, so that made things easier. I just tried really hard not to kill people and I had succeed so far. Past tense. Had.

It was a day like any other and I was stuck running errands with Bethany. We had to run towards Sundermount to gathering herbs for Anders. He was swamped, so he'd asked us to go since we'd gone down to visit him anyway. Hawke forced us to take Fenris along for extra safety instead of leaving us with Isabela. I would have preferred the pirate over Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Brooding any day. It's not that I don't consider him a friend and it's not that I'm afraid of him. He just...

Oh, hell. I don't know. I couldn't even begin to tell you what was going on there. It was probably because I'd never been near him without Hawke around. It was like the man was a buffer against Fenris' occasional glares when I said something he didn't like. In fact, I don't think he's ever even spoken directly to me. Meh, doesn't really bother me.

We rounded a curve in the path leading to Sundermount when the trouble started. I spotted the elfroot Anders had asked for and was about to go get it when an arrow lodged in the ground right in front of me. Had I just been a bit faster I might have been dead.

"Hey!" I yelled as I rounded on the direction the offending arrow had come from. "Watch where you fucking shoot that thing!"

"My apologies," a man with dark hair and bright blue eyes said in a thick accent as he approached. Fenris had his sword at the ready. Just waiting for the man to make another threatening move.

I glared at the man hard before snapping at him. "I'd rather not die trying to get a fucking plant!" I ran a hand over my face. If nothing else I was distracting the guy. "I can just hear it now. 'Here we lay Korbin to rest. She died in the line of duty- er.. wait, what was that? Oh, sorry. She died trying to pick leaves. My bad'." I snorted. "Knowing my luck that's how it'll go."

By that point both of the guy's eyebrows were sky high. "Does she always talk this much?" He asked.

"Not unless she's mad," Bethany supplied. "Korbin has been very stressed out as of late."

I glared at her. "Thanks for that Bethany." She simply smiled at me.

The guy seemed to recover from my behavior after a few moments. "My apologies for not introducing myself. I am Brother Sebastian."

"This is Fenris," I said lazily. "Can I go pick the damn plant now? I have shit to do today."

Fenris let out a sigh. If he didn't know anything else about me he knew that I really didn't like meeting new people. All things considered, I couldn't be blamed.

"Go," was all he said before I wandered over and pulled all the bright green leaves off the plant and put them away.

"Is she... sane?" I heard Brother Sebastian ask Bethany in a low voice. I still heard him.

"Korbin just likes to keep people on their toes around her," she told him. "She get's bored easily."

I snorted. "I was raised by dwarves," I said rather loudly. "What the hell else do you expect?"

"That's certainly interesting," he said as if he had expected to hear it. "Once again, my apologies for nearly killing you. I must be on my way to the Chantry. Good day to you all."

With that said he left us all standing there. I shuffled my feet for a moment before speaking. "Well, that was awkward. Let's _not_ do that again." Bethany started cackling (I swear) before we went on our way for the rest of the plants Anders wanted.

Fenris told us that we wouldn't go as far as the Dalish camp. He forgot the part where I have no idea what the heck a Dalish is. I guess that was something that would be explained one day when we weren't busy. It was easier waiting until something came up to tell me about it than explain it ahead of time. I'd end up forgetting it anyway.

We rounded a corner where Anders said we might find a plant called Crystal Grace. I had no idea what the hell it looked like, but Bethany assured me that I'd know it when I saw it. She was right about that. I was in awe when I saw the pale blue, chiming flowers. I actually giggled when they made noise as I picked them.

"I wonder if Anders would let me keep one of the flowers," I said wistfully.

"Why?" Bethany asked, face full of confusion.

"When I was a kid I'd pick flowers I liked and press them between two heavy books. After a few days I'd take them out and put them in a blank journal I kept just for that," I explained with a smile.

She smiled and Fenris didn't say anything. We started to turn around and head back to Kirkwall when the real trouble started. A small group of bandits cut us off just short of being home free. I followed Bethany and Fenris' actions and pulled out my cheap daggers. They made it seem like there was going to be a fight. I hoped like hell there wasn't. Isabela wasn't done teaching hope was destroyed when the leader of the group in front of us charged. I froze up as they sped towards us. I wasn't ready for a fight, but it was happening anyway.

We were outnumbered two to one. Bethany slung a fireball into the fray as Fenris brought his greatsword down on one of the men. I just stood there in shock until one of the men came at me. I dodged (more like fell) to the right before swinging (stumbling) around behind him. I swung my right dagger as hard as I could at the back of his neck. Hot blood sprayed and splattered my face. I stood there like a deer caught in the headlights. I had just killed someone. I had just killed a living, breathing human being. I didn't realize that everything had calmed down around me. That all the men were dead.

"I can't believe I just killed someone," I squeaked.

"That is the way of this world," Fenris sighed.

I hardly heard him. I was freaking out in silence. I still find it hard to believe that I actually managed to scream when the spiders came out of the trees.

* * *

><p>I was going to kill Anders when I found him. He was at his clinic in Darktown, so that meant he had to be a The Hanged Man. I was going rip him a new one when I found him. I was going to tell him exactly what I thought of him. Then I was gonna go 'home' and tell Leandra what he did because she reminded me of my grandmother and I felt like I could tell her anything. Proper grammar be damned when I'm pissed!<p>

Fenris had gone back to his mansion in Hightown. I think he was tired of my ranting. Otherwise he probably would have tagged along to watch me yell at Anders. Bethany followed along trying to calm me down, but I kept yelling as I stormed through Lowtown and right through the doors of The Hanged Man. Isabela shot up the stairs when I slammed the door behind me.

As I neared Varric's door I could hear Isabela warning who ever was in there that I was on the war path. Her words exactly. I threw the door open without knocking and stomped my way inside. I didn't even notice Brother Sebastian sitting next to Hawke. I pulled the leather bag Anders had given me for collecting plants off and flung it at the mage with as much fury as I could muster. I watched as it flew in a straight line and wrapped around his face before it slid into his lap. I could not have done that a second time if I tried.

"How the hell do you just _neglect_ to tell someone about the giant spiders!?" I screamed. "Not to mention I was forced to kill someone!"

Anders stared at me in shock as I continued to scream and tell him he was the absolute most horrible person I had ever met in my life. I turned on my heel and left. I was done. I added and extra, frustrated scream to the mix once I was outside and on my way 'home'. This time Bethany didn't follow me. She knew where I was going. Chances are she stayed behind to tell them what happened to trigger 'angry Southern Korbin'.

I slammed the door behind me and looked around. No Gamlen, but Leandra came out of the room we shared with Bethany and Hawke. She looked concerned. I know I looked pissed and on the verge of tears.

"What's the matter Korbin?" She asked in that motherly tone of hers.

"Spiders," I croaked. "And I was forced to kill someone today."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Leandra said sadly. "Sometimes it's the only way."

"But I promised him I would never knowingly harm another person!" I shouted as the tears started to rain down. Leandra came over to me and steered me to the chair I constantly fought her brother over. Right next to the fire.

"You who, dear?" She asked as she busied herself with making tea.

"My grandfather," I cried. "He always told me that a person should try to go through their whole without ever hurting another person. I killed that man. I broke my promise to him. Hell, I'm more upset over the promise than the actual deed."

"Was your grandfather as kind and caring as he sounds?" Leandra asked gently.

"Yes," I croaked out. "He and my grandmother were the only people willing to take me in after my parents died when I was ten."

"I think your grandfather would rather you fought to live," she said softly. "Not give up and die before you can live."

I choked out a laugh. It was such a pitiful thing. "You might be right. Even though he was kind he always stood up for himself." I took a deep breath. "He would never fault me for that. Thank you, Leandra."

"You're very welcome, Korbin," she said with a smile smiled. "Could you do a favor for me?"

"Sure, what is it?" I questioned, curious.

"When Hawke and Bethany go to the old Amell Estate to look for my father's will, will you go with them?" Leandra begged.

"Ok, I can do that," I told her. "Besides, how hard could it be to clear out a few slavers?"

Later, I would be kicking myself in the ass for that, but it was worth it. The smile Leandra gave me was completely worth putting my life in danger for people I had only known for around two months. I already considered these people to be like family to me. I know she wouldn't have asked if she didn't feel the same way. I had no idea how long I was going to be here, but I was sure as shit going to miss these people if I ever went home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>I almost forgot, there is going to be a lot of skipping around going on until I can settle in on part of the story to run with. If anyone has any suggestions for quests they'd like to see Korbin tag along on, leave a review or send me a pm.


	6. Chapter Six: Where The Faucets Drip At N

**Stories Untold**

**Chapter Six: Where The Faucets Drip At Night**

AN: I honestly could not think of a good name for this chapter, so it ended up being a few lyrics from Rehab's Welcome Home. Oh look, video game references. Just to clear a small matter up if I haven't before, Dragon Age does not exist in Korbin's world. That would be more than a little Mary-Sue.

My new family was looking at me like I was insane. I had been humming the Pink Panther theme all morning and only I knew why. Today was the day Hawke and Bethany intended to go to the Amell Estate and clear out the Slavers. Fenris and Varric were supposed to go with them, but I had asked Fenris if I could take his place. We agreed on not telling anyone about the change of plans.

I waited a few moments after they left to follow them. Leandra knew where I was going, so there was no point in telling her. I hid around corners and watched them, sneaking my way along. I planned to show myself once they got to the entrance for Darktown. I continued to hum the Pink Panther theme, which oddly enough morphed into the Lost Woods Dubstep Remix Rap. That's a mouthful.

"Running through the woods and without a map. Listen to the sounds, I found a trap," I muttered before running to the next corner. "Hello world, I'm Korbin Auditore. Master Assassin!" I cackled quietly. I was having entirely too much fun for someone that was about to kill people. Talk about a massive downer. I stopped playing around and took off after my friends as they approached Darktown.

"Hey!" I said cheerfully. "Where ya going without me?"

"I was wondering when you'd show up," Varric said calmly. I gave the Dwarf a flat look.

"That's not fair," I said. "You know me too well. Now I must kill- Wait, why doesn't anyone seem surprised to see me?"

Bethany giggled. "Mother told us you were coming."

I sighed and threw my hands in the air. "All that sneaking around for nothing! Go figure." I turned to Hawke. "Are we ready to go?"

"In a moment," he said slowly. "We need to decide the best course of action. We can't simply run in and start killing everyone."

"But we _are_ expecting that. Right?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not exactly happy about killing people, but these guys having it coming. They enslave people and sell them like they're cows. That is bad, right?"

"Yeah it's bad," Varric answered. "But we have to make sure we don't get ourselves killed in the process. Sometimes I forget that you come from a place where people kill each other for really stupid reasons."

"Yeah," I said slowly. "Let's not talk about home, shall we? I'd really rather forget how long I've been gone and what sort of state my farm is in."

"Got it, Shorty."

"So," I said with a sigh. "What's the plan? Or do we not have one of those?"

"I have a plan," Hawke laughed. "We're going in the back door. I want to catch any slavers that might be inside by surprise. Let's go."

We made our way into Darktown and took a ton of turns before we made it to the cellar door, aka 'The Back Door'. We paused by the door while Hawke unlocked it and peeked inside. He waved us in and I almost stepped right into a trap. I looked at it for a moment before waving Varric over to deal with it. There was no way in hell I taking a crash course in traps today.

The second we turned a corner they were on us. It looked like we hadn't gone unnoticed. I wished like hell they hadn't seen us. I still didn't want to kill anyone... until I saw the bodies of what had to have been slaves in cages. That shit just did not fly with me. I was still a bit out matched, but in my own clumsy way I managed to take down a whole two slavers. Korbin's current kill count in this world and her own= 3 people dead. Thinking about that kinda sucked, but I had taken a bit of revenge for the deaths of a few innocent people.

"Now we get to loot the place," Varric informed me as he patted me on the back for a job of staying alive well done. "I promise they won't miss anything."

I grimaced, but set about looting the two bastards before me. They reeked of men that never bathed. Ew. Could ya get any more gross? I came across a ring on one of them and a whole sovereign on another. I hadn't seen this much money in all my time here. It was kinda weird holding a gold coin after all this time. I really was broke if this excited me.

I looked around in a few boxes and tried to find something useful to me. There really wasn't much I could use. A few armor pieces that didn't look like they'd fit me and a sword that looked like something Fenris would use was all I found. I guess I could sell the armor and give the sword to Fenris. If he didn't want it I could sell it too. Yep, I'm broke.

"What did you find?" Bethany asked from behind me.

"Eh," I replied. "A sword, some armor, a ring, and a sovereign."

"Good find," she said with joy. "Can I see the ring?" I handed it to her in hopes she might know what I could do with it. It was a simple silver ring. She handed it back to me with a smile. "You should keep that. It's enchanted."

I gawked at her. "Really? With what?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I believe it could be useful to you," she told me.

"Dagger Mastery," Varric said as he passed by. He'd hardly glanced at it and he knew what it was.

"Cool!" I yelled with glee. "Just what I need! These things are expensive in the market. I thought I'd never get one... even though I don't know how this shit works."

"It's simple," Bethany explained. "The magic in it augments your own skills. It makes you a little better than you were without the enchantment."

I looked at the ring warily. "It didn't seem to do that guy any good against me."

"Was he wearing it?" Hawke asked as he returned to the room we were standing in.

"No," I said. "I found it in his pocket."

"That answers it for you then. Enchantments only work when they come in contact with your skin," Varric explained.

I made an oh sound and slid the ring on different fingers till I found one it fit on. "Well, his loss I guess. Did you find the will?"

"Yes," Hawke smiled. "Let's get out of here before more slavers come."

* * *

><p>Leandra insisted that I stay and listen as she read the will. She had it firmly in her mind that I was basically one of the her children. After having heard about what happened to Bethany's twin brother Carver, I didn't put up a fight about spending time as a member of her family. In her mind I had taken the place of her son and it apparently kept her going to have three children again. Granted, she didn't take me in in a sick way. She had simply adopted me since I wasn't going anywhere and we got along pretty well.<p>

The more she read, the higher my eyebrows rose as I looked at Gamlen. It was obvious that this guy had issues, but this was insane. I didn't get myself involved in the ensuing fight, but I had shook my head at him in disapproval. Her parents had forgiven her and Gamlen had gone and been a bastard to his own sister out of jealousy. It kinda reminded me of my own family and how they'd tried to rip my grandfather's farm out from under me when he passed away.

Later in the day Hawke ran off to help Avaline with a problem she was having. I was left to wander around Hightown with Bethany until they came back. We'd already been kicked out of the little guard place in the tower for loitering. Such a stupid word for standing around. We sat down on a bench outside and I regaled Bethany with some of my favorite songs.

Right in the middle of a badly sung version of Vitamin R by Chevelle, Hawke and Avaline showed up. We followed them in to find out how things had gone and what was going to be done about it. There was a lot of yelling from the guard captain's office. Hawke shook his head at what was being said. I grimaced and had to stop myself from going in there and making things worst. I jumped out of my skin when the door almost hit me as it crashed open.

"A lot of yelling for doing him a favor," Hawke said simply.

"We kill a band of highwaymen," Avaline said tersely. "What does it matter who's patrol it was? This isn't the first time he's made me wonder like this. Something is very wrong." She walked away to look at the roster across the room. A woman rushed up and spoke with her. I had no doubt that this would turn into a long chain of events. In the mean time, I had lessons with dear Isabela.

I was pretty late getting to our training ground. Isabela was the only one there for once. I was glad no one would be there to laugh at me as the pirate whooped my ass.

* * *

><p><strong>Weeks Later<strong>

I hummed as I walked towards the guard barracks. I wasn't afraid to walk on my own anymore. Granted, if I wasn't careful I'd still get my ass beat if I went up against someone bigger than me, but I wasn't as bad off as I had been before. I owed it to the ring I had looted off that dead guy. That thought still made me uncomfortable. I was wearing a dead guy's ring. Ew.

I hadn't had the chance to visit Avaline since she became guard captain with Hawke's help. On the other hand, I hadn't actually had time to talk to Hawke in a while since I spent most of my time with Bethany and Anders doing small jobs here and there. I wanted to buy new armor and blades, but I needed money for quality items that I didn't have. I saved up any money that wasn't needed as my part of rent and food. That's saying a lot since I was never any good at saving extra money.

After stopping by and speaking with my other mother figure I headed up towards the Chantry. I wasn't actually going _in_ the building. Oh no, that was not something I was willing to submit myself to. I was going to the gardens on the side. I missed my grandmother's roses that I'd fought so hard to keep alive back home. The garden here had beautiful roses and one variety looked like my grandma's beloved Blue Girl rose. A rose so damn hard to keep alive it should have died years ago. The flower of the rose was not actually blue, it was a pretty pinkish purple color. The flowers were as big as both my hands side by side.*

A lot of the roses here reminded me of the ones from back home. If you take care of roses just right in Alabama, or anywhere I guess, they can bloom massive flowers. I had always loved gardening, so it wasn't much of a stretch for me to help the brothers and sisters care for the plants. I knew a few farm tricks for flowering plants that they didn't. I saw Brother Sebastian a few times, but for the most part he was either inside or gone. It didn't really hurt me any. I didn't exactly have an opinion on the guy.

I like spending an hour in the garden before going about the other crap I'd gotten myself into. I had Shadow Zone on my mind as I walked towards the docks. I tried to spend as little time there as possible, but there was no helping it today. I had overheard some guy talking about a stash in a far corner that no one could see. I thought I'd poke around and see what was in it. It's would be just my luck if I found a stash of raw lyrium and got caught by the guardsmen.

It was pretty easy finding it without getting caught. I guess no one saw me as much of a threat. The stash itself was set into the ground near the docks. I had a hard time getting the hatch to open. It didn't look like anyone had come near this thing in years. That or the salty air had rusted it pretty quickly. It came open with a loud shriek that had me darting up to look around in embarrassment. Kinda like farting in a crowded, quiet room. No one was looking at me though and I was able to kneel down and look in.

I found a few enchanted items and a bad ass set of daggers. The were pretty cool looking. Wickedly curved with what amounted to a sort of double blade thing. Translation: the had short blades at the bottom of the hilt. I really liked them. Maybe they'd pass Isabela's inspection. Now that I had looted this hole in the ground I needed to get the hell out of here. Except, nothing is ever that easy.

*The Blue Girl rose actually does exist. There are only two things that will keep those damn things alive and that is banana peels and coffee grounds. Weird, but true. I used to have one, but when I moved it it decided to die. It was actually my mom's favorite rose along with the ridiculously purple Macho Man. I need to get her one of each for Mother's Day.


	7. Chapter Seven: For You, Hopeless

**Stories Untold**

**Chapter Seven: For You, Hopeless**

**AN: **For you, as in For You by Staind and Hopeless as in Breaking Benjamin. I highly suggest listening to both while reading this chapter and you might understand a bit of how Korbin's mind works. Start with Hopeless.

* * *

><p>I was in a lot of trouble. The guys I had overheard talking about the stash were here and they were not happy with me. I wasn't giving back what I had found. They couldn't make me if they tried.<p>

I stood out in the open near where the hole in the ground was. Three men stood out in front of me in a loose line, blocking my path. I was trying hard to remember what Isabela had told me about getting stuck like this. There was a way to get out of this without fighting them. They were a lot bigger than me and I had no doubts about who would come out on top. Here's a hint, it's not me.

I chewed at the inside of my cheek, waiting for them to move. This was a hopeless... wait, hopeless? I looked between the men in front of me and how far apart they were. I already had a plan forming in my head. If I fought them, I would sure as shit die. If I evaded... That might actually work!

I darted forward with as much speed as my short little legs would let me, right at the guy in the middle. He brought his sword up and sliced it through thin air. I had rolled right as he lifted the sword and took off between them. I was running for dear life and those bastards didn't even realize it till I turned a corner!

I pumped my short legs to keep far out ahead of them. It was working so far, I just had to get back home without them seeing me or catching me. I darted up a set of stair and looked back to check their distance from me and crashed into something hard in front of me. I hit the ground with a thud and a whoosh of air. I was dead. They were going to catch me. I sat up slowly, trying to catch my breath, and looked behind me. They had stopped coming after me. They just stood there.

I looked up in front of me and squeaked in surprise. A really fucking tall guy with gray skin and huge horns stood in my path. He looked down at me with absolutely no emotion. "Why are these men chasing you?"

"Huh?" I gaped. "Uh, they left a bunch of stuff out where anyone could find it. I found it and they didn't like it."

"Go home, girl," was all he said to me and faced the men that had been chasing me.

"Uh... ok," I said and got off my ass and darted off towards home. There was a lot of yelling and then screaming behind me. I broke into a full run and practically dove through the door that signaled home. I slammed the door and locked it before leaning my back on it. I breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone was looking at me strangely. "What has gray skin and horns?" I asked bluntly.

"Why?" Hawke asked, walking towards me. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"I was, but now I'm not." I let out a loud breath. "I am never doing that again."

"Doing what?" He asked in exasperation. "You aren't telling me anything, Korbin."

So I told him what happened and showed him my loot. He was equal parts impressed and pissed off at me. I got a rundown of the little that Hawke knew of the Qunari. Talk about some creepy ass people. We both thought it was interesting that the guy had stopped and killed my... uh, hell I don't know what to call them. The point is, I didn't have to worry about them anymore.

"So," Hawke said standing up. "Do you plan on getting into more trouble today, or would you like to go meet the Dalish Elves?"

"Is that even a question?" I asked and stood up. I left my old daggers in a corner of the room to sell later and followed Hawke out the door. We got Varric and Isabela to go with us, which seriously made me laugh. None of us could keep our mouths shut.

"So," I asked once we passed through the gate out of Kirkwall, "just where are we going and for that matter, what are we doing?"

"We're going to complete a favor that was asked of me," Hawke explained. "I owe someone and I have to go to the Dalish camp to complete it."

"So we're tagging along in case...What?" I asked. "Don't tell me you expect trouble."

"I don't, but I also don't expect this favor to finished so easily. I don't think it's going to be as simple as taking the amulet I was given to the clan's Keeper and walking away. I've learned that nothing is ever that easy," he told me.

"You have a damn good point, Hawke," I agreed, "but why take me along? If there's even the slightest chance shit could go down hill I don't think I'm a good choice. I can't even keep myself out of trouble."

"She has a point," Varric and Bela said in unison. I glared at them.

Hawke smiled. "On the contrary. Today you proved that you can get yourself out of trouble just as easily as you can get yourself into it. You may have run from danger, but you lived to tell the story. If nothing else you can run away and tell everyone we died."

"That's not funny Hawke," I glared. "It's true, but it's not funny. Not even with fucked up sense of humor."

"I was kidding!" Hawke laughed. "You give into fear to often. You, like anyone else, are afraid of death. It's understandable. We just need to break your fear response and make you fight what scares you."

I blinked at him. "That makes perfect sense, actually. Ok, let's do it then. I'm afraid of heights, spiders, and dead things moving when they should be rotting on or in the ground. Let's see you fix that."

"That should be easy enough," Varric laughed. If only I had known that this joke wasn't a joke.

* * *

><p>As it turns out, things really weren't that easy. I stood in awe of the people around me. The only elf I had met to date was Fenris and he didn't exactly count. They were wary of us and unused to seeing people that didn't hate them. I couldn't possibly hate people that didn't exist in my world. I literally saw them just another group of people. The ears didn't bother me. The way they looked didn't bother me. It was like looking at another skin color back home for me. I didn't treat them any different than I would a human and... it bothered them.<p>

That caught me off guard. It bothered them. I still can't understand why it would bother them that I treated them the same as any other person. Maybe it was because they were so used to people treating the poorly and they expected it out of me. I just didn't deliver.

We approached the Keeper in the middle of the camp. I didn't want to stray too far in case it pissed these people off. Hawke spoke with her and I just barely listened. I gained a bot more knowledge about the Dalish when I did listen, though. Hawke started walking away, which signaled the end of the conversation for me, but the Keeper stop me in my tracks.

"You should not be here," she told me. "You are not of this world."

I blinked slowly. "How'd you know that? It's not exactly common knowledge."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I guess she was recalling what she knew. "I felt the disturbance when you crossed the Fade. You should have died."

"Um..." I fished for something to say. "That's... strange? I don't really know what to say. I don't know how I got here, actually. In fact, I have no idea what I'm here for."

"Do not worry, young one," the Keeper told me. "You will find out soon enough." She waved me on. "Hurry. You do not wish to lose your friends here."

Confused I looked at her and back at the retreating backs of my friends. What the hell did she mean about me finding out soon enough? I took off after the others and walked behind them. How did she even know I wasn't from this world? Sure, I'd confirmed it when I probably shouldn't have, but who in their right mind asks a question like that out of the blue?

"Why did she want to speak to you?" Varric asked, falling into step beside me.

"She knows," I said. When he looked confused I sighed. "She knows I don't belong here."

"That's strange."

"That's what I said to her," I replied. "Varric, she said I would find out why I'm here soon enough. Do you think it could have something to do with that amulet?"

Varric hummed as he thought. "I don't know. I guess it's like she said, you'll find out soon enough."

Soon enough we came upon a woman sitting and, I dunno, talking to herself? When she finally realized we were there, it was hilarious! This girl was ridiculously nervous meeting humans for the first time. Her stuttering was on the high side of adorable. Isabela thought so too, but in a different way. She worried me with her bipolar affections.

After a moment we finally started up the mountain again. What I found out even faster than why I was in Thedas is that I like undead things and spiders even less than I had previously thought. I froze up the second the first of the spiders showed up in our path. Hawke, trying to be helpful, pushed me off into the on coming hoards of creepy bastards. One tried to eat me and out of fear of dieing I stabbed it in the mouth and watched as it hit the ground, dead. That gave me a bit more confidence in myself and I started going after them on my own, without being pushed.

The dead things were another matter entirely. I had yet to see anything that was supposed to be dead walking around Kirkwall. I froze up during the first bunch we ran across. I swore I was going to have heart attack, but I was fine. The next time around I managed to kill one. After that, I had no problems with anything other than my lack of skill.

It was hard to believe that we hadn't actually gotten that far up the mountain. Our path was soon blocked by a barrier. Merrill (as I had learned was her name) dispelled it. An uncomfortable conversation about Blood Magic ensued even though I don't understand the whole thing. We started off on our way. Soon enough I found myself in the company of Merrill.

"You don't act like the others," she said out of nowhere.

"Uh," I said, fishing for something to say. "I don't really know what to tell you about that."

"I'm sorry!" She said quickly. "I didn't mean to make it sound like I was ungrateful or anything... I'll shut up now."

"You don't have to be sorry," I told her. "I just honestly don't know what to say. I'm not familiar with Blood Magic and, well, a lot of things. You and I are kinda in the same boat on that I guess."

"You're very kind," she said. "You don't have to be nice to me. Not that I'm not happy, it's just that I-"

"Merrill, calm down," I laughed! "Try not to upset yourself so much. Everything is fine! I don't mind being nice to you."

She finally calmed down and we talked quietly until the next bunch of creatures showed up. She told me about the Dalish, demons, and Blood Magic. I told her my screwed up story. Her only reply was to say that it explained why I was so nice to her and her clan... and elves in general.

When we finally reached our destination I was freaking out. I hadn't actually had time to look over the side of the mountain, so I hadn't had time to be bothered by the sheer height of Sundermount. Hawke told me to focus on one thing at a time, so I focused on the alter and what Merrill was doing.

Before long I was graced with the sight of an older woman named Flemeth appearing out of thin air. Oddly enough, it didn't bother me. I was getting too used to this world and its weird crap. I listened as she spoke with Merrill and then Hawke. I kinda thought that would be the end of it and we'd leave, but that's not exactly what happened.

"How do you fair here girl? So seem to have quite the group of friends," Flemeth said, catching my attention.

"This is honestly the least strange thing that has happened to me lately," I said, not actually knowing what she wanted me to say.

"Then you are pleased with the way things have turned out for you?" She asked.

"Look, I don't know who you are or why you're asking me all this," I snarled.

"A year ago in this world I accidentally set in motion a chain of events. On chance I opened a portal that led to another location, one that was not set in stone. I acted as a catalyst for the will of another. One did not dwell in this world and I suspect she was long dead. I spied a girl with a heart so tainted grief that she did not recognize the emotion any longer. I saw you," she explained. "You were not meant to be here. It was simply a coincidence. Something I do not believe in."

"What?" I was shocked. _Grieved _to know that there was no reason for me to be here.

"However, I saw a kindred soul," she continued. "I allowed the magic to flow and become more than the window that it was. I used the will of the woman that had previously been there to open a gate between worlds and allowed you through. I felt that you had a better chance at happiness here. I allowed you to start over, if you will. Your stay could be forever or it could end any day now."

I sat on the ground and listened as she turned into a dragon. It didn't phase me. I was too far gone into my own mind to really be bothered by anything. _Starting over. Forever or any day now. _What would make me happy? What would break me? I was an accident. I wasn't supposed to be here. I had no purpose. Those weren't things I wanted to hear, but... where they things I actually needed to hear?

I followed the others down the mountain, deep in thought. We arrived home after... doing something I don't actually remember. I went into my shared room and sat down on my bed. I think someone had tried to speak to me, but I didn't actually hear them. Hawke told Leandra and Bethany what had happened. He left to gather the others and discuss the latest turn of events involving me.

Bethany sat with me for a while, but didn't try to speak to me. I needed to come out of this on my own or not at all.


	8. Chapter Eight: Unforgiven

**Stories Untold**

**Chapter Eight: Unforgiven**

**AN: **Time skipping, yay. There won't be much of that going on anymore after the next chapter. I have a few things planned, but I need to be in Act 3 to really do anything. Then it's on to Inquisition! This chapter could not be left out. I had intended to skip over this, but I realized that I actually need to write this for character purposes.

There are a few things I know for certain. I have been in Thedas for three years. I live in a big ass house where I don't have to share a bed, but still live with my family. My best friend was taken to the Circle. I have a general hate for all Templars.

The last one I'm not one hundred percent on since there's this one guy that can't speak to me without making himself look stupid. I can never remember his name, but I do remember that he's the one that took Bethany to the Circle. I liked to visit her once a week, something that wasn't allowed, but they couldn't stop me from climbing the walls.

Oh, and one more thing. My life before Thedas was getting hazy. I couldn't remember much of anything that didn't relate to my family and my farm. It sucked, in a way. Though, I thought of it as a blessing. My made up life felt more real than my real life. It made lying to people easier. Not that that was actually a good thing.

These days I spent most of my time with Merrill when I wasn't with Varric or spending time with my... er, the Hawke family. I had too much time on my hands and I got into a lot of trouble as a result. Leandra was disappointed in me until I explained the problem. Then she made me go with her to spend time with Gamlen. After one visit I promised her I would try like hell to stay out of trouble.

I still spent time at the Chantry garden every week. I learned everything I could about Thedas. I spent some time with Isabela at the Rose. I went out of my way to make that one Templar uncomfortable. Let's just say I did a lot of stuff. I had helped Hawke a lot lately. I really didn't like dealing with the Arishok or that Qunari that saved me years ago.

"I would have told him to burn the bodies," I said as Hawke and I made our way home. I was worn out and ready to go my ass to sleep early as hell. Like, noonish early.

"I did earn the Arishok's respect by not hiding them," Hawke replied.

"True that," I muttered. "Hey look, Gamlen's here. I wonder what he wants?" Gamlen was really the last person I wanted to see. We had never and would never get along. He was trying to ask Sandal where Leandra was when he spotted us.

"There you are!" He shouted acting as though he was actually happy to see us both. "Where's your mother? Is she feeling alright?"

I was thoroughly confused by what he said, but let Hawke speak.

"I'm sure she's alright," he told Gamlen. "Why are you so upset?"

"She didn't show up for our weekly visit," he explained irritably. "Is she ill? She _is _here, isn't she?"

It came to light that Leandra had a suitor, something that none of us had known. I guess she didn't want to worry anyone, but the whole lilies thing set off major red flags. Gamlen headed home in case she was waiting for him. Hawke and I had to wait till night to look for her. Why in the hell we had to do that, I had no idea, but at this point, I'd take it. I just wanted to find her alive and well. She was one of the closest things I'd had to a mother since my grandmother had passed away.

* * *

><p>We found Gamlen interrogating a kid in Lowtown that basically refused to give him any more information. I was ready to beat the kid's head in when Hawke stepped up and bribed him into telling us what he knew. At this point I was convinced she was still alive and was taking care of some guy that had gotten into trouble. Avaline agreed on following the trail of blood and Fenris wisely kept his trap shut. We weren't exactly getting along since I tended to side with mages.<p>

The blood trail led us to the foundry. I was not so sure at this point. I wasn't so brave at this point either.

"Hawke, I've got a bad feeling," I said, voice shaking. "I remember this place."

"We have to go in," Hawke snapped before swinging the door open and stepping inside.

I would like to take a moment to say, I am not afraid of the dark. I still have a lingering fear of undead things. I remember finding that girl's finger in a sack here. I... I really did not want to go back in there. I had to though. I couldn't abandon Hawke or Leandra. Like hell was I doing that to them!

I followed Hawke and the others inside. This place was still as gross and bloody as it was before. We started our search, splitting up to look around. I was avoiding the back. I tried so hard to ignore Hawke's voice and the hope and fear it contained. I felt like that inside. The woman had taken me in. I owed her my life.

We found a trap door that hadn't been there the last time we'd entered this hell hole. I was nervous about going down there. I could only imagine how Hawke felt. To have your mother's life on the line. I almost knew exactly how he felt. Instead of chasing down a possible killer I had tried to hold myself together through an endless stream of doctors and hospitals while the killer slowly ate at one of the last people I really cared about. I would see this through. I would not run from reality this time.

We made our way down the ladder into the lower section of the foundry. Unfortunately for me, we met opposition in the form of demons and shades. I hadn't fought a lot of demons and I really did not like even looking at them. The rage demons kinda reminded me of the lava slugs in Ocarina of Time. Can you say pain in the ass? Too bad they didn't just go out like the lava slugs when you hit them. That would be too easy. Plus, I tended to get burns from them.

When everything had settled down, Hawke spotted a woman laying on a table. Heart in my throat, I followed him over. It wasn't her. I sighed with relief. I felt kinda sorry that Alessa had met her end here, but it was dwarfed by the relief.

A few turns later had me gagging. The smell was horrible. Kinda like being trapped in a pit with disease ridden corpses. Not that I actually know what that smells like. It's just what I imagine it would smell like. We also found a note, but there had been several of those already and I didn't want to read them. Not far from the note Hawke found Leandra's locket. I felt sick. I guess we were on the right path, but I didn't want to think of how it could end.

As we went farther in, we found a place that looked a bit like someone's bedroom. The second Hawke stepped farther in a ton of shades came out of the floor. I hated how those bastards appeared. It always made me feel uncomfortable, like I was walking on shades all day and they could pop up at any second. It seemed like it was true down here.

Once they were dispatched we got a chance to look around. The guy really needed to learn to clean up after himself. These was paper everywhere on the floor. Clothes strewn in random places. It was like an OCD nightmare. That's not even mentioning the necromancy books.

"Is that?" I asked dumbly as I stared at a portrait set up on an easel. "Is that Leandra?"

"It looks like her," Hawke growled. "We need to find her. Now."

"Uh," I squeaked out. "Lead the way Hawke."

It wasn't long before we found the guy. Go figure he just had to be a mage. He was kneeling next to a high backed chair, but stood the second we got into the room. It didn't seem like he knew we were there yet as he walked around the front of the chair. I guess there was someone in it. Then he looked up, right at Hawke.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," he said rather calmly. His voice was ridiculously annoying. "Leandra was so sure you'd come for her."

"Where is she?" Hawke demanded.

The guy grinned in a way that made me nervous. I hate it when people do that. "You will never understand my purpose," the guy said ominously. "Your mother was chosen because she was special and now she is part of something... greater."

Talk about a creep.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Hawke said, uncertain as to what the guy was talking about.

"I do," I snipped.

"Release my mother and we'll let you go," Hawke continued, ignoring me.

"She's here," the guy said in an even more annoying tone. "She's waiting for you. I have done the impossible! I have touched the face of the Maker and lived!"

Hawke shook his head. I knew what he was thinking. This guy was insane and he had done something horrible.

"Do you know what the strongest force in the universe is?" he asked. I had a feeling he wasn't actually asking. "Love. I pieced her together from memory. I found her eyes. Her skin. Her delicate fingers. And at last... her face. Oh, this beautiful face." I stopped listening.

_Do you know what the most powerful force in the universe is? Love. _Those were the same words my grandfather had spoken so many years ago. At a time when I had hurt so badly. Hearing this deranged bastard speak those same words meant to comfort me in a hard time filled me with rage. _It transcends death. I still love your grandmother, your parents, and your aunt. Love is something that doesn't go away when you lose someone close to you._

What had once been Leandra stood up and turned to look at us. Her movements were jerky, puppeted. It wasn't right. The guy suddenly summoned a bunch of desire demons, shades, and... undead things. I shudder to think about it. This was not going to be an easy fight. Though, I can honestly say you have not lived until you've stabbed a naked demon in the boob. Such fun.

All the while Leandra jerked and spasmed erratically. I tried to keep an eye on her and fight at the same time. I looked up at the wrong time and felt claws slice into my left arm, forcing me to drop my dagger. Of all the damn times for a distraction! But it was over shortly after I was hurt. Fenris had saved my ass again.

Breathing hard, I watched as Hawke approached the now dieing shadow of a woman. "Mother!" He shouted as she fell. I felt my heart break for him, Bethany, and myself.

"I knew you would come," she said slowly.

"Don't I always?" Hawke asked, sounding bitter.

"Shh," Leandra soothed. "Don't fret, darling. That man would have kept me trapped in here. But now... I'm free. I get to see Carver again... and your father, but you'll be here alone."

"I'll be fine mother," Hawke told her. His voice cracked with unshed tears. "I still have Korbin."

"My little boy has become so strong," she mused, breath slowing. "I love you. You've always made me so proud."

* * *

><p>Hawke and I had hardly made it home without breaking down. We had gone our separate ways once we had gotten inside. I curled in on myself, trying to block out the world. It hurt on more than one level. Quentin had parroted words my grandfather had used to keep me from completely breaking before he passed away. I had lost another person I cared for. I won't lie, I was completely bitter. I had put so much trust into Leandra and that crazy bastard had taken her away.<p>

Letting out a shaky sigh, I stood and made my way to Hawke's room. I knew he wouldn't really want to talk, but I needed to. It was so damn selfish of me, but I needed it.

"Hawke?" I said as I tapped on the door. "Can I come in?"

"Yes." It was just loud enough I could hear him. I walked in and sat down next to him. He looked miserable.

"Misery loves company," I said lamely. "I can't... I don't want to be by myself right now. I know it's selfish of me, but... it hurt's Hawke. I can't even... I do know how it feels to lose someone so close to you."

"Is that why you..." he started." Is that why you became so detached before you came here?"

"Yes," I said sadly. "I'm not sure if I ever told you this before, but I spent almost four years in that state. I'd probably still be living like that if Flemeth hadn't taken pity on me. I forgot that I was supposed to continue to live after those that I loved passed away."

"Does it ever get any better... any _easier_?" he asked, pain evident in his voice.

"Yes... and no." I told him. "You just have to remember to live. You have to remember to keep their memory alive by keeping yourself alive."

"Thank you, Korbin." Hawke said slowly. "I am truly glad to have such a great friend as I have in you and the others."

"No," I said. "Thank _you_. If you, Fenris, and Anders hadn't found me, I don't know where I'd be right now. Probably dead."

Hawke smiled sadly. "Probably."

I returned it with my own watery smile. "Yeah, probably."


	9. Chapter Nine: Leading Us Along

**Stories Untold**

**Chapter Nine: Leading Us Along**

**AN: **Just to clarify on the chapter title, it's actually Vitamin R (Leading Us Along) by Chevelle. The lyrics actually fit this chapter fairly well (I think) considering what's happening at this point. Dragon Age 2 is almost over. Only a few more chapters to go before the real story starts. Korbin needs to spend some quality time with her friends first. Shit get's real in the next chapter. At this point, I really need to know what people think. Please leave a review. I don't ask often, but when I do I need them.

* * *

><p>Hawke was the Champion and Kirkwall had gone to shit despite his hard work. We still muddled through Leandra's death, but we did not repeat my mistake. I wouldn't let him become me before I arrived in Thedas.<p>

Kirkwall was no longer the relatively care free city it once was. We were now choosing sides of all things. I stuck by Hawke in his decision to back the mages and not the Templars. Needless to say, my favorite Templar wouldn't even speak to me now. Granted, he was only my favorite because he got embarrassed so quickly when talking to a woman that wasn't under his command. Knight-Captain Cullen I think it was. Eh, whatever.

Knight-Commander Meredith was trying her damnedest to make life in Kirkwall hell. I couldn't even climb the tower walls without being afraid of getting caught and jailed at this point. I hadn't seen Bethany in weeks. The bitch was cracking down on mages and making it harder for us to hide Anders and Hawke's beloved (I'm cackling as I write this) Merrill. Who would have thought? We gave them both a key to the house just in case they had to hide.

Speaking of. I was spending more time with Anders helping him out with the mage underground. I owed a lot of mages my life and I figured they'd be happy to know I was helping others. Unfortunately, this meant I was also spending more time with Justice. I had no idea how that whole thing worked and I honestly didn't want to know. I just made faces at Anders when Justice was showing out a little too much. The spirit made me really, _really_ uncomfortable.

Fenris was avoiding me at all costs. According to Isabela he thought I had something going on with Anders. Nope. Nuh-uh. No fucking way in hell. He was a good looking guy, but I really could not handle his poor me attitude for more than a few hours. Which is saying something. Fenris also wasn't helping Hawke as much. I learned that it was because of his former master.

What can I say? I'm out of touch with a lot of things.

I spent a lot of time with Varric and Isabela. They kept me sane. I made up wild stories with them about people we didn't even know. It was fun and kept shit in perspective. They would annoy me with questions about that one Templar I liked to bother, but they knew I just liked to annoy him. Like they liked to annoy me with... you know what, that was confusing waiting to happen. You get the point. I'm sure.

I found myself with the opposite problem I was having just a few years ago. I now had no time on my hands. Sometimes I would just say fuck it all to the things I had to do, ditch out, and go talk to Avaline. She was still the sane one, but even she was preparing for shit to get real. It seemed like everyone was getting ready for a huge fight to happen.

I won't lie, I was fucking nervous. I'm not a pert of this world (funny how I'm just now thinking of this after all these years) and I'm preparing to lay down my life for people I don't even know. People I'll never in a million fucking years meet.

But I was ready to throw myself into whatever was about to happen. I kept Flemeth's words close about not being here forever or never leaving, but at this point I was pretty committed to this world. I felt more strongly about Thedas than I ever had about Earth. And the bitch about it was that I knew less about Thedas. It just didn't matter to me. Thedas was more of a home to me now than Earth was the whole twenty five years I had spent there.

As I said, I'd lay down my life for people I didn't even know. It's strange to think of how much I've changed.

* * *

><p>"But what I'm saying is that <em>if <em>there's a huge fight, who will you stand with?" I pushed angrily. I had been arguing with people for days now. "Will you stand by Hawke or that bitch of a Knight-Commander?"

"We are not discussing this again, Korbin!" Fenris snapped. "You're becoming just as bad as everyone else in this city. You know I feel that Hawke made the wrong choice!"

"Damnit Fenris!" I yelled at him. "Why can't you just answer the damn question?"

"Because I do not know at present!" He yelled back. "You know I owe Hawke my life, but I cannot be forced to choose right now."

"Fine," I groaned. "I just want to know where everyone stands and no one is giving me an answer. Except Varric. He's the only one aside from Anders, but we both know why Anders is on his side."

"Of course he is," Fenris sighed. "He's the only one aside from yourself that has sworn their undying loyalty to Hawke."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I snapped, eying the elf in front of me.

"It simply means that you both decided a long time ago that you'll follow him where ever he leads," he said calmly. "Not everyone has put that much faith in him. Not even his beloved Blood Mage."

"Someone's jealous," I said trying to lighten my tone. "What's going on there?"

"There is nothing 'going on there,'" Fenris snarled. "I would advise you to keep silent in such matters since you yourself are so in love with that damn abomination!"

"Whoa there!" I yelped, throwing my hands up in surrender. Eyes wide. "There's nothing going on there either. Never has been. Forget I even said anything."

Fenris gave me a strange look, but didn't say anything about it. "Why do you want to know so badly?" He asked instead.

"Oh, I just want to know who may or may not kill me," I said flippantly. Like it wasn't something that actually bothered me.

"Why would you believe that any of us would willingly kill you?" Fenris asked, confusion clear on his face.

I let out a loud sigh. "I don't belong here. Not only that, I don't have a good past with friends sticking by me when I need them the most."

"I don't believe that," he told me evenly. "I don't believe that you don't belong here. You've done all that you can to- mostly- fit in to Thedas. You belong here as much as anyone."

I let out a laugh. "You've been drinking again. I can tell. You don't get all mushy when you're sober."

"I suppose you're right," he laughed.

To have someone I don't exactly get along with tell me that I _did _belong meant a lot to me. In the end it was possible that Fenris would side with Hawke and the mages after all. Only time would tell.

* * *

><p>"Anders, Varric, Isabela, Merrill, and Aveline," I said, counting the names off on my fingers. "Those are the people I know for a fact have your back in a fight against Meredith."<p>

It was at least two weeks after my conversation with Fenris. I hadn't really had much time to talk to Hawke since then. We'd both been busy. He with getting mages out of trouble and me with interrogating our friends on where they stood with Hawke.

Hawke laughed. "Planning a secret rebellion against me with Fenris?"

I looked up like a deer caught in the headlights before I realized he was laughing at me. "Yeah, well, you know. Gotta keep all my options open. Right?"

He laughed again. "Good to see your humor is still intact. You know you didn't have to do all this for me."

"I'm not gonna lie, this was more for me," I sighed. "You know that whole friends not being there thing. I feel really stupid for thinking they'd turn against us... you. Aw hell! You know what I mean!"

"Thankfully, I do." Hawke chuckled. "You need to relax. There's enough going on without you stressing yourself further with thoughts of who's going to stab you in the back."

"You're right," I said glumly. "I've just never been in a massively life or death situation like this before. I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff waiting for someone to push me off."

"Please try to relax, Korbin," he said with a concerned look. "You'll kill yourself before you ever make it into a fight at this point. Go see Anders. He might have something to help you relax."

I could hear the implication in his voice and I glared at him. "Really? Really?! You too? What has the world come to that suddenly everyone thinks there's something going on between me and mister-my-life-is-so-horrible-because-no-understands-me? Don't get me wrong, he's my friend. But gods fucking damn that shit!"

Hawke laughed at me as I made my way out of the house. Damn him and his weird ideas.

* * *

><p>"Merrill!" I yelled into her tiny ass house. "Hey! Merrill! Where the hell are you girl?!"<p>

I listened as a stream of sorrys issued from her room. "I'm so sorry, Korbin! I didn't hear you knock!"

"I didn't knock," I laughed. "I yelled. Just as good as knocking, but no one can ignore you."

"Why would I ignore you? Fenris maybe, but he'd never... sorry," she said as she caught herself.

"That's ok," I smiled. "It's just the way I am. You should know. I've been doing it for years now."

Merrill thought about it for a moment. "You have, haven't you?"

I simply smiled at her. Merrill was a good friend despite that fact that she was kind of scatter brained. I tried to help her out as often as she helped me.

"Did you need something?" She asked. I caught before she could backtrack on me.

"No," I said quickly. "I just thought I'd come by and see you. Shit could get real any day now and I want to spend time with everyone before then. I have the weirdest feeling that I'll never see any of you again after... whatever happens."

"Hawke told me you were hurting," Merrill said sadly. "I guess I just couldn't see that until now. You always seem so happy."

I rubbed the back of my neck uncomfortably. "I am happy most of the time. I just don't ever seem to stay that way. I guess it's a side effect of living my world for so long. We're stuck in this unnatural loop of suck and there's no way out of it. We don't have to fight to survive anymore, so we fall into bad habits like mine. I just can't stay happy. I feel like I've been relatively happy for too long."

"Why?" She asked, catching me off guard with the short question. At my look she elaborated. "Why only relatively happy and not just happy?"

I gave her a sad smile. "I'm lonely."

"But you have so many friends!" Merrill exclaimed. "How could you feel lonely?"

"You have Hawke," I said with another sigh. "I don't have anyone. I'm lonely. Going to the Rose can't fix emptiness of the heart."

"Oh," she said sadly. "I understand now. Maybe we could find someone for you!"

"No," I told her. "That wouldn't be fair. I couldn't tell them who I really am and that would just be a whole lot of suck."

"Then," she said with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry I can't help you."

I smiled then. "You help me every time I talk to you. You're a great friend Marrill and could not ask for more than that."

* * *

><p>"So," I said uncomfortably. "What's new?"<p>

Aveline didn't even look up from her desk. "Ask what you came to ask. I'm busy."

I looked at the floor. Damn. "I guess I'll go then."

She looked up then. "I'm sorry, Korbin. People have been coming in all day bothering with petty things. What do you need?"

"Oh," I said slowly. "It's nothing. I just came to talk. That's all. Like you said, you've been busy. We haven't had any time to talk lately."

She let out a long, tired sigh. "Reports of rouge mages have been coming in like crazy. People feel better handing them over to the city guard than the Templars. They feel that the Knight-Commander is ruining their lives."

"I know the feeling," I said turning the small chair in front of her desk backwards and sitting in it the wrong way. "I haven't been able to visit Bethany since she tightened security. It sucks."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Aveline said sincerely. "I know how much she means to you."

I sighed for the millionth time that day. "She's my best friend, Aveline. I kinda feel lost without. I've almost been arrest a ton of times since she's been gone. I hate that woman and what she's doing to good people."

"Not all mages are like Bethany. You know that as well as I do," she lightly scolded.

"I know," I said sadly. "It's just... hell, I don't know. She's one of the first real friends I've had in a long time. I feel really fucking lost without her."

"I know what you mean. When I lost Wesley..." Aveline paused to collect her thoughts. It wasn't often that she talked about her dead husband. "I felt like I would never love again. I felt like no one would ever understand me again. Surprisingly enough, you do a pretty good job of understanding me and all the rest of our friends."

"Glad I'm at least a little help," I said with a smile. I stood up and headed for the door. I had other people to talk to that day. I stopped short and as an after though I said, "By the way, don't ever talk to Fenris when he's been drinking. He get's mushy." I heard Aveline laugh as walked out the door.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Bela," I said, sitting in a chair across from her in the Hanged Man. "Up to anything interesting?"<p>

"Not particularly," She said. "But a little birdie told me that you are. Saying goodbye already, love?"

"Just in case," I told her. "You never know what's going to happen these days."

"That you don't. You know I don't like all that mushy stuff," Isabela frowned.

I grinned in reply. "I know. I was just going to say thanks for all you've done for me and go see Varric."

"Goo girl," she said, laughing. "Get on then. You said your peace."

I smiled the pirate and got up to wander to Varric's room. He was writing, like he usually was when no one was around.

"Hey," I said, catching his attention.

"Well, well, well," Varric smiled. "Haven't seen you around lately. Coming to say goodbye?"

"How'd you know?" I asked.

"I just know," he told me. "Now, what've you got for me. You better make it good or I'll be disappointed."

I smiled. "You're making this difficult on purpose. Aren't you?" Varric returned the smile and let me continue. "Honestly, I don't know what to say. You've been there for me from the start. Granted, Anders found me, but you're had your own part to play. You taught me a lot about Thedas and things work here. I don't think I could ever repay you for what you've done for me."

"Shorty," He said sadly. "We're friends. You don't have to repay me."

I sniffed back the tears that were threatening to fall. I didn't want to do this. "I know that. I just feel like I owe you. I feel like I owe everyone. I owe Hawke the most."

"We all owe Hawke, Korbin. It's part of what bands us all together," Varric sighed. "I don't regret recruiting him. He's become a great friend in the time I've known him."

I let out a laugh. "Who are you kidding. He's giving you the greatest writing material ever."

"That he is, Shorty. That he is."

* * *

><p>"What the hell are you writing now?" I asked Anders as I walked into his clinic.<p>

"My Manifesto," he said simply, scrawling a few more lines.

"Uh-huh," I countered. "Any particular reason?"

Anders didn't answer. He was too busy.

"Oh come on!" I snapped. "I hardly ever see you these days and when I actually have the time you want to write. What the hell, man?"

He looked up like a scorned little boy. "Sorry. I've just had a lot on my mind and I wanted to get it all written down."

"Oh, I know," I said easily. "I was just trying to snap you out of it to talk for a bit."

"What about?" Anders asked. "Surly I'm the last person you want to have a conversation with."

"Actually," I laughed. "You are the last person. I've talked to everyone else already. I figured you were busy with patients."

"Not recently, no," he said sadly. "Most people have been thrown in jail and I've been avoiding people in general."

"Ah," I said slowly. "The Justice going crazy thing. Don't worry. I just came to say goodbye. At least, that's what everyone says I'm saying."

"Why?" Anders asked, concerned. "Why say goodbye if you aren't going anywhere? You aren't leaving, right?"

"No," I said with a sigh. "I'm not. I just have this feeling like I am. Like whatever storm is creeping up is the end of life in Thedas for me. I don't like it, but I at least want to be able to say that I said goodbye to my friends before I go."

"That," he stalled. "That actually makes a bit of sense. We don't know if you're here to stay or if you're going home."

"No, I corrected. "Not home. Just back. This is home now. I love Thedas and I don't want to leave, but there are things I need to take care of. Home or not."

"I can understand that," he told me sadly.

"Do me a favor, would ya?" I asked out of the blue. Anders gave me a confuse look. "Don't you ever let him take over who you are. Set boundaries. I don't care what you think, I know for a fact that spirits that mean good can turn into demons if they try too hard."

He opened and closed his mouth several times before he answered me. "I can do that."

"Good," I said. "He's getting too comfortable in your skin. You need to stay you. You irritate the shit out of me sometimes, but you're a good friend."

Sometimes I hate all my stupid foresight. Trust me, that shit is truly stupid.


	10. Chapter Ten: 1000 Eyes

**Stories Untold**

**Chapter Ten: 1000 Eyes**

**AN: **I very highly suggest listening to 1000 Eyes by Saliva. I have known since I started writing this story that this song was going with this chapter.

* * *

><p>Orsino and Meredith were at each others' throats again. On a normal day I would have laughed at their stupidity, but things were getting heated in Lowtown. The duo were just about to get into it big time. There was no telling what would happen if Hawke didn't step in. I ran along side him, Varric, and Aveline. He had wanted Anders to come with us, but the guy was nowhere to be seen.<p>

That is, until someone mentioned the Grand Cleric.

"The Grand Cleric cannot help you!" Anders said, making his grand entrance. "I will not stand by and watch you treat all mages like criminals!" He smacked his staff on the ground. "Whie those that lead us bow to their Templar jailers."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I asked under my breath. No one answered me. Then again, most people ignored me anyway. "Someone stop him, please?"

I wasn't the only one that wanted him to shut up. The look on Hawke's face said the same.

"How dare you speak-" Orsino began, but was cut off by Anders talking over him and smacking his staff on the ground again. My sarcastic thoughts had me laughing. _Oh damn! He means it guys! _

"The circle has failed us, Orsino!" Anders continued, going Justice on us. "Even you should see that! The time has come to act. There can be no half measures."

"Anders," Hawke warned, "what have you done?"

"There can be no turning back," Anders finished.

I gulped. "That doesn't good. At all."

I had hardly gotten the words out when the ground started to shake and shift. "What the hell did you do?" I screamed, just before the Chantry exploded in a shower of glass, rock, and bright red light. Dust and fire rained down on Kirkwall in waves. I stared at where the builing had once been in complete shock. What the hell had he done?

"There can be no peace." That was all he said.

"Why?" Orsino asked. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"I remove the chance of compromise," Anders answered, Like he had everything figured out. "Because there is no compromise."

"The Grand Cleric has been slain by magic," Meredith said, hysteria creeping into the edges of her voice, "the Chantry destroyed." She turned to address all the people that where there, mostly Templars. "As Knight-Commander of Kirkwall, I here by invoke the Right of Annulment! Every mage in the Circle is to be executed- immediately!"

I gasped as Orsino spoke. "The Circle didn't do this! Champion, you can't let her! Help stop this madness."

"And I demand you stand with us!" Meredith snapped. "Even you must see that this outrage must not be tolerated."

"It can't be stopped now," Anders said. "You must decide now."

Hawke looked over at me, but I was seething. Enraged at both Anders and Meredith. I was libel to make a stupid decision, so I left it up to him. He turned to Orsino. "It won't be easy, but we'll defend you."

"You are a fool, Champion," Meredith snapped, irritable as always. "Kill them all! I will rouse the rest of the Order!"

"Heartless bitch," I yelled, throwing myself into the fight that followed her departure. I would not allow innocent people to die because one of my _friends_ decided to take matters into his own hands and some crazy bitch thought she was doing what was best for everyone. _Fuck that!_

I swung on a Templar. I missed more often than I hit, but _damnit_ I was not going to let them get to Bethany! I cut a few of them and others took them down. Orsino stood and fought with us. He, thankfully, was not a coward like some others were. _Fenris._

I snarled as the fight came to an end I was not happy and I had a mage in my sights. I was _pissed_. Anders had planted his ass on a crate like he had nothing in this world to worry about. I'd fucking give him something to worry about. I could hardly even hear what Hawke was saying, but Anders made one thing sure as shit. He _wanted_ to die. I wouldn't allow it. I stopped Hawke with a hand on his shoulder. "Let me." With those two words, he stepped aside.

Seething, I stepped towards Anders. I'm pretty sure everyone expected me to kill him with all the rage I was showing. That wasn't the case. I grabbed his shoulder and shoved, hard. "You fucking think this is it?" I snapped. "This isn't over."

Anders tried to speak, but I stopped him. "Shut the fuck up and let me speak! You don't have that fucking right anymore!" I took a deep breath. "I fucking told you to keep a boundary. I fucking told you not to let him take charge and what did you do? You fucking betrayed me!"

At this point everyone looked ashamed. Everyone had finally arrived, but I didn't care. I was going to say my peace. "You don't get a fucking choice anymore. You took that from yourself when you let min tell you what to do! You don't have a single fucking ally in this world!_ I owed you my life. _Now I don't owe you _shit_. You're dead to me, Anders. You better fucking hope I never see you again. Next time it'll be your fucking head!" Push. "Get the fuck out of my sight!" Push. "I don't ever want to even hear your fucking name!" Push. He hit the ground. Got up. Stumbled. Turned tail and ran. I had started crying half way through. My heart broke with the realization that he was only ever for himself. Anders had betrayed my friendship.

Hawke rubbed my shoulder. I'm not sure when he got there. "Let's get to the Gallows."

* * *

><p>The city was burning. I felt like I was burning. The rage still hadn't simmered down, but I was dealing with it. Our arrival at the Gallows had been wrought with fire and flying Templars. The latter actually made me laugh.<p>

Just as we had been about to pull the mages together and possible make a retreat, that bitch had arrived. My favorite Templar in tow. If I hadn't been mad before, I was now. I had a new found hatred for that bitch since this shit had started. She was fucking bat shit. Orsino had actually thought he could talk some sense into her. I could have told him otherwise. She wasn't all there. Probably never had been. The lights were on, but nobody was home. I'm sure you get the point.

During the talk I noticed Fenris, standing at the cunts side. I sneered. He always talked about being treated like a dog, now he was allowing someone to do it to him all over again. I was going to slap the shit out of him when this was over. If either of us survived. He changed sides at the last moment. I kinda wanted to kick him. Someone needed to fill him in on what I did to friends that betrayed me. Then again, Fenris had told me before this that he wasn't sure what he intended to do. I should just be grateful that he sided with us in the end.

Orsino's speak was impressive... Oh, who the hell am I kidding? It sucked, but it did the job for the mages gathered. I took a moment while Hawke was... saying his goodbyes, to talk to Bethany.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do when this shit is over, but someone owes me a trip to Val Royeaux or something!" I snarked.

Bethany laughed and handed me a leather pack she'd carried with her. "Here, you can take this with you when you go."

I took it slowly. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"It just feels like the thing to do," she answered. "I don't want you to forget me if this doesn't work out."

I tried to come up with something to say, but in the end I just told her thank you. I couldn't think of anything to say to her. I didn't plan on looking through it now. Too much shit to do. In the end, Hawke gave a truly impressive speech. Asking me to tag the enemy, but try not to get tangled in a fight. I was good at that. I decided I'd stay low and cut some knee caps. It was a sound plan in my mind. Things... don't always go as planned.

Orsino turned coward and several mages followed him. I went from laughing in mid fight at flying Templars to running for my life. Knee caps be damned! I was not getting puked on! I hugged the corners and let my friends take it down. I wasn't getting in that and dieing. They knew my fear of undead things. Unfortunately, there were plenty of dead things to go around.

When Hawke finally pulled what I could only describe as the core from it's head, I lost it. I ran for the railing and puked my guts out. That was a little too much for me to handle. Squeamish or not, that was fucking gross! It just wasn't over yet. Not even close.

* * *

><p>"Here we are, Champion," Meredith drawled. "At long last."<p>

I felt like I could rip her head off. She was so smug. I fucking hated it.

"I imagine you've wanted to be rid of me for some time now," Hawke retorted. Go Hawke!

"I bear you no ill will," she said in return. "You brought this on yourslef."

"Brought this on ourselves?" I asked. "Are you fucking stupid? None of us caused this. You did!" I started towards her, but Fenris picked my short ass up and basically removed me.

"Quiet, girl," she sneered. "This has nothing to do with you."

I growled and fought to get free. I can't fucking believe this hag just called me girl! "Take that back or rip your fucking head off and shove it up your-" Fenris covered my mouth to keep me quiet. I tried to bite his hand, but it didn't work out that way.

"You were never part of the Circle," she said to Hawke, "and I tolerated that, but in siding with them you've chosen to share their fate."

The Knight-Captain stepped up, getting in her way. "Knight-Commander, I thought we intended to arrest the Champion."

"You will do as I command, Cullen," she said firmly.

"No!" Cullen answered. "I defended you when Thrask started whispering you were mad, but this has gone too far."

My eyes widened when Meredith drew her sword. "I will not allow insubordination! We must stay true to our path!"

Somewhere near me I heard Varric say Andraste's dimpled buttcheeks. I snorted as Fenris let me go. We were about to fight the grand bitch herself. I just knew it. Her sword tuned into a light saber on crack and she started muttering about how they were all falling prey to blood magic. Cullen dared her to go through him. I was standing next to him and still couldn't believe the one-eighty he'd done. I'd have to thank him later.

I let out a slight cough as she said something while swinging her glow stick around. "Well," I said to anyone that could here me. "That escalated quickly!" I'm kinda surprised no one groaned at my bad joke. Everyone went into the fight with a battle cry. I just screamed knee caps.

The bitch was tough. I wasn't really doing much in the way of chopping off her legs. I don't know where the hell she was getting all this damned stamina from, but this shit sucked.

Then the statues started moving.

It added to the trouble we were already having. Every other person had to save my ass. I went for the ankles in hopes that they were weak there. It didn't do a ton of good, but it gave me a solid target I could reach. I now regret having never improved my bow skills. When this was over I was so working on that shit. A smaller statue sent me flying and I crashed to the ground. Varric helped me up and asked if I was ok. Nothing was broken that I knew of so I simply nodded. I was going to hurt like hell when this was over.

I was trying like hell to contribute, but I just wasn't that good. In short, it sucked. I would probably never be as good as the people around me, but that was ok cause I still tried my damnedest. It seemed like it wasn't good enough, but the tides were starting to turn. The bitch was getting tired. I noticed a statue at the last moment, one of the last of them, and started towards it. I could at least try to keep this one off Hawke's back while he dealt with Meredith.

I ran at it, but noticed Cullen in a bad spot. He was about to get hit by the one behind him! I kicked it up a notch and sprinted at him, it almost looked like I was going to attack him. I slammed into his side as he brought his shield up to block me. The statue's are swung right through where we had just been. I laid on the ground, not moving. I hurt all over. I had just barreled full speed into a heavily armored man to save his life.

"Ow," I grunted. "I'm never doing that again."

"Are you alright?" I heard beside me. Cullen.

"No, I'm not," I groaned as I rolled over. "Running into metal never feels good. At least we aren't dead." I looked up just in time to see the killing blow. "But she is."

When we joined the others to watch her turn into a statue herself, I got close to watch her eyes go last. It was almost funny. Things got brighter the second she was dead. I laughed loudly and turned around to tell everyone what I thought of the situation.

I was greeted by a bright green field. My house in the distance.

* * *

><p>The Templars stood down from Hawke and his friends. There would be no more fighting today. It did not go unnoticed that someone was missing. Korbin wasn't among the bodies, but she just wasn't there. They expected to see her standing by the gate with a sarcastic remark about them taking for ever. She wasn't there. They searched Kirkwall, but she was nowhere to be found.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN2: <strong>The next chapter will be a little... fillerish. Bear with me. This isn't over yet.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Where The River Flows

**Stories Untold**

**Chapter Eleven: Where The River Flows**

**AN:** This song fits perfectly with this chapter. Where The River Flows by Collective Soul. I ended up writing a lot more than I meant to, so this is a pretty long chapter. I need to go back and replay DAI for the story. I can't remember a lot of what happened in my play through. I put Korbin through so much shit. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>I turned around to laugh at the situation, but what I saw... it wasn't my friends. Green fields stretched around me for acres. I could see my house. I... could see the well just a few feet away from me. What the hell was going on? I was just in a fight against Meredith and now I was home. Jax was nowhere to be seen. I could only guess that someone had caught him and either returned him to the horses or turned him in as a stray.<p>

But then, hadn't I been gone for years? They'd either died from neglect or someone had taken them. Right? Was I crazy?

I looked down at myself. At the armor still in place. At the daggers still firmly in my hands. The leather pack weighing heavily on my back and shoulders. No, I wasn't crazy. I had been in Thedas. Now I was home. My four wheeler was nowhere to be seen. That was ok though. I had walked much further than this. There was only about six acres between me and the house. I'd be fine.

I started towards the house. As I got closer I could see my cousin Ray's car parked next to my beat up old truck. What was he doing here? Maybe he'd called and hadn't gotten an answer? He called me once a week to check on me, so maybe that was why he was there. On closer inspection I could see a cop car in the driveway. How long had I been gone?

I watched them pull out and leave. They never even noticed me. I guess that was for the best. I didn't feel like explaining myself to more than one person. As it stood, Ray was probably going to have my ass committed.

* * *

><p>Ray had freaked out when I came in the back door. I had only been missing a week and Ray had been here the whole time taking care of my animals. He had asked me a million questions about the way I was dressed. I promised I'd tell him everything, but I needed a few answers myself.<p>

"Did you get Jax out of the neighbor's field?" I asked tiredly.

"What are you talking about?" Ray asked in turn. "Jax has been out with the other horses the whole time I've been here."

"No," I argued. "He was in the neighbor's back field. He escaped and I tried to get him, but..." I trailed off.

"But what?" I think he was scared of the answer. I was scared of the question.

"But I fell through the boards over the well," I whispered, fear welling up. "How it this possible?"

"You what!" Ray yelled. "When the hell did that happen? Have you really been down there this whole time? I didn't even think to look there!" He kept yelling. Not at me, but at himself. He felt bad. I laid my hand on his shoulder with a sad smile.

"No," I said sadly. "That's not exactly right. I have a story you need to hear. Just let me tell it and I'll let you decide what you want to do when it's over." So I told him the story of my time in Kirkwall. I told him about Hawke and all the friends I had made. I told him everything. I laughed. I cried. Dear gods, did I cry. I let it all out.

"And now I'm home and I feel like my whole world has ended!" I cried. "I wish I could go back. I miss them all. There going to get in trouble without me and I won't be there to make jokes about everything."

Ray rubbed my back as I cried. Expression uncertain. I knew he couldn't decide if I was crazy or not. I spoke of Thedas with such emotion, it confused him.

"You... Aren't going to do anything crazy," he asked slowly, "are you?"

I sniffled. "No."

"Then there's nothing I can do about it," he said. "Now is there?"

"No," I repeated. "I value my life too much to do anything stupid."

Ray smiled brightly. "There's the girl I used to know. I guess whatever happened to you was a good thing."

I laughed through a sob and nodded spasticly. "Yeah, they helped me find myself again. I'm going to miss those crazy bastards."

* * *

><p><strong>Six Months Later<strong>

I dug through my grandfather's room with a vengeance. I was a week into cleaning up the house. I had decided that, since I had finished fixing up what could be seen from the outside like the barn and the house, I needed to finally go through everything inside. I needed to finally move on from the deaths that had plagued me so long ago. I still couldn't come to terms with how much time had actually passed.

I took everything off his bed, ready to throw it out for a new one. I pushed the mattress off the bed and that's when I found it. An envelop addressed to me. I opened it slowly with no idea what I would find.

_Dear Korbin,_

_If you're reading this, chances are I'm gone from this world. I don't want you to spend your life mourning your old grandpa. Just know I'm happy and no longer in pain._

_I know the cancer has been harder on you than it has been on me. I'm the only person you have left that still cares about family aside from Ray. I've raised you all these years with your grandmother, but now that she's gone it's just us. I'm watching you play that game you love so much as I write this. I think you called it Halo. I know you play to hide how much you hurt. I just hope you don't hurt for too long._

_I'm am so sorry that you've had to deal with so much death in your young life. First your parents, then poor Jordan, your grandmother, and now me. You have been so strong though everything. I want you to always remember that. You are strong. You always have been._

_I want you to be strong for me. I know it's not easy, but please don't let the weight of everything crush you. If you need to cry, you cry. If you need to scream, you scream. It doesn't make you weak. It makes you stronger. Don't keep everything bottled up inside. It will kill you in the end._

_Know that we will always love you. No matter if we are gone or still alive. You are more than you seem to your own eyes. The right friends will see this in you._

_Love always,_

_Grandpa Max._

A sob broke free. He had left this for me years ago. I was too broken to find it. It did confirm one thing for me.

I needed to find my way back to Thedas.

* * *

><p><strong>One Year after my return<strong>

Nightmares plagued my sleep. I had a hard time falling asleep these days. Memories of demons passed kept me awake at night, much as they had for the past year. It made me wonder if I did the right thing in running Anders off when maybe someone should have killed him where he sat.

I thought about a lot of things from my time in Thedas. I just didn't dwell on them to the point where I couldn't function. I went out of my way to do new things every week. No more routine. No more falling into myself and never crawling out. I owed my friends and my grandfather that much.

It was late and I couldn't sleep for anything. I opted to wander the fields and look at the stars. It was a warm summer night and I fucking loved it. Metallica played in my ears, earbuds firmly in place. It was a beautiful night, just like so many before it. The high grass tickled my hands. Come fall I'd have to harvest the hay and then I'd be wandering barren fields.

I felt kinda funny walking around with a leather pack, but I had done it for too long to stop now. Besides, I didn't want Bethany's gift to me out of my sight. My daggers and armor were in the pack. Just in case, but nothing ever happened. Tonight would be no different. I knew that. I knew I was going back, but I could still hope till the day I died. Hell, I'd sold or given away all my animals just in case. Except Jax.

The next night I decided to take Jax out with me. I knew he hadn't actually been there when I saw Flemeth fly over. She'd neglected to tell me a few things. I still liked to ride him through the fields at night. His dapple gray coat almost blending in with the night. I knew he appreciated the ride as much as I did. He was a reminder of Thedas. I adored him for the unintentional part he had played.

The grass shifted against Jax's sides as I walked him towards the gate to his paddock. We were still a ways out, so there was plenty of time to admire the bright stars above us. It was a small comfort, but it was still there. The stars weren't the same ones I saw in Thedas. They were the ones from my childhood. I hummed Thoughtless by Korn, an old favorite of mine. A smile on my face.

There was a loud explosion. A horse screamed. A flash of green. Then nothing.

* * *

><p>I smacked into the ground hard. I heard my teeth click together painfully and pain exploded everywhere. I coughed, trying to stand up. I was pushed back over. I realized a little slowly that Jax had bumped me. I tried again, vaguely aware that my bottom lip was bleeding. Oh joy fucking rapture. A new scar. I grabbed Jax's saddle to steady myself. This fucking hurt beyond anything I had gotten myself into.<p>

I looked up in time to see something weird. I mean really fucking weird. There was a swirling vortex like thing going on in the sky. It had the same green color that I saw when... when what? What the hell happened? I could see a snow covered landscape around me. It's winter here, not summer like it had been a moment ago. There were mountains. I don't live near mountains. Hills, yes. Mountains, no.

I was standing in the middle of a road instead of a field. Jax stood next to me, moving nervously. He didn't know what was going on any more than I did. Maybe even less. I sat my pack on the ground and rifled through it. Better to look like a nut in armor than get killed by people for my modern clothes. That is, if I was where I thought I was.

I fastened my daggers on my back, pulled my pack on, and swung myself into the saddle. Pushing Jax to walk. It wouldn't do me any good to sit around and wait for someone to find me. I didn't know if I was in Thedas and I didn't know what was going on. I needed to find out answers for both and I wasn't going to get them by sitting around.

In the (fairly close) distance I saw more green explode in the air and just float there. That was weird. I wasn't so sure I wanted to get close to that. I skirted as far from it as I could while staying close to the road. It started to shift and move. I didn't want to stick around and find out what it was on my own. I kicked Jax into a gallop and got the hell away from it.

Up ahead, I could see what looked like soldiers guarding the end of a bridge. I took that as a good sign. That's where I needed to be. I was approaching fast and the soldiers came to arms.

"Halt!" One of them yelled. I had already started slowing Jax down, so that was unnecessary.

"What's going on here?" I asked, pulling Jax to a full stop.

"Who are you?" One of them countered.

"Answering a question with a question," I said. "Classy."

"What's your business here?" The other one asked.

I let out a loud sigh. "I know there's a lot of weird stuff going on here, but I'm probably not the enemy. Probably."

They looked really confused. They looked between each other and me. One of them finally spoke up. "Who are you?"

"My name is Korbin Mondschien," I said quickly, looking around behind me. "I'm friends with Garret Hawke and Varric Tethras."

They looked... overwhelmed? Like they knew my name. Please don't tell me Varric wrote a book about me! "Hey!" I snapped. "Are you gonna tell me what the hell is going on or do I need to beat it out of you?"

They _scrambled _to answer me. Gods damn it all to hell. I was going to kill Varric. They told me about the Conclave. About the explosion. About the demons pouring out of bright green rifts.

"Damn it," I snarled. I was just getting back and shit had already gone farther south here. "Let me through. I need to find whoever's in charge and find out what I can do." That was a lie. I needed to get in and look for familiar faces. Hawke, Varric, someone. They let me past and told me to look for Seeker Pentaghast. Like I was actually going to look for them. Fat chance. I handed Jax off to a guy just inside with a promise of bodily harm if anything happened to my horse. He skittered off with Jax in tow.

The gate at the far end opened and two people stepped through. I wondered if the woman was this Seeker the soldier had told me about. I stepped to the side to let them pass me. There was a man next to her. The breach exploded again and a green light flared up on his left hand. Well, that was interesting. I followed them out the gate at a distance. Far enough away that they didn't notice me, but too far away to hear them talking.

I followed them past soldiers and shit that was on fire. He collapsed in pain when the breach exploded again. I tried to follow them across a bridge, but a green ball of fire slammed into it. We all went crashing to the ground bellow.

"Fuck me," I snarled. I tried to get up, just as the guy with the glowing hand tried to. Another ball of green flame hurtled toward us and slammed into the ground. I was not happy to see a shade pop up in the fire ball's place. "Fuck me sideways." I didn't want to fight these things so soon after arriving, but it looked like I was going to anyway.

I rushed at the shade along side the Seeker, ready to put the smack down on the shade. Er, make that several shades. They actually needed my help now. I slashed at them, going for what I knew to be vital points on people. Maybe it would work on these bastards too? They went down far easier than I remembered.

The Seeker rushed at the glow stick hand guy. Until I knew his name, that was it. "Drop your weapon!" She shouted at him. Damn.

"If you're going to lead me through a demon infested valley, you'll have to trust me," he told her. He had a very valid point.

"Give me one reason to trust you," she snarled.

"Because my life is on the line," he said simply. She conceded. You can't argue with good logic.

"This is all well and good," I said before they could notice me on their own. "But I need to know what's going on here. Seeker, you seem to have most of the answers I need."

"Who the hell are you?" The seeker asked. "Have you been following us this whole time?"

"Not the whole time, no," I told her. "Let's just say I've got some friends you've probably heard of. I spoke to some soldiers that gave me a run down of what's going on, but I'm still confused."

"I do not know what friends you would have," she said quickly. "But we do not have time to chat. Follow us if you want answers, but know I will jail you the second I am able."

I twisted my lips in thought. "Fair enough."

Many dead things later and I was looking at a familiar sight. The short man with the cross bow twice his size was trying to hold back a bunch of demons while a mage fought near him. The things were damn persistent and I was tired as fuck. We finally fought them back. Soldiers fought all around us, or died around us. The first rift was in front of us and when the demons and shades were finally dead, I was eager to see how things would work out. Then I'd say hi to an old friend.

The mage was an elf. He seemed to know what was going on and showed my new friend in possible death how to close the rift with his hand. That was the weirdest fucking thing I have ever seen. He spoke to the elf for a moment when it was closed,. It explained a lot. Then, in his normal fashion, Varric introduced himself. I snickered to myself since he still hadn't seen me, but that was ok. I was about to shock the shit out of him.

"Well that explains a lot," I said. "Here I thought I'd never find out what was going on. Awesome." Varric turned slowly, a look of shock on his face. I grinned at him. "Well hi there Mr. Midget. Fancy meeting you here." Varric rushed forward and hugged me. I'm glad he did or I would have done it myself.

"Shorty!" He shouted affectionately. "When did you get back? I haven't seen you in four years!"

That stopped me short. "Shit. Has it really been that long?"

"You disappeared after our fight with Meredith," he told me. "I thought we'd never see you again."

"Wait," the Seeker said, confused. "This is Korbin? The one you said was friends with the Champion?"

"The very same," Varric said. "She always has to end up in the thick of things. That's her style."

"Yeah," I said. "Then I try like hell not to die."

"It good to meet you both," the unnamed man said. "My name is Hunter Trevelyan."

"You may reconsider your stance in time," the bald ass elf mage thingy said. I really do have a way with words.

"Aww," Varric said happily. "I'm sure we'll become great friends in the valley, Chuckles. Besides, Korbin isn't _that _bad."

I yelled hey at the same time the Seeker started talking. Looks like she didn't want Varric to tag along.

Hunter looked at us all like we were insane. He'd get used to us in time.

Wait till he got to hear my story.


End file.
